Mississippi

Mississippi Overlook Park access could improve with grant application

Published

2 years ago

February 24, 2024

Mississippi Overlook Park access could improve with grant application

BAXTER — Greater access to Mississippi Overlook Park is where Baxter City Council members voted to start as they approved applying for federal grants.

The park’s 60 acres and the 820 acres next to it are city-owned property in southwest Baxter. It is open to the public but getting to the park overlooking the river and its shoreline facilities means walking a half-mile or a mile distance after parking on a dead-end residential street.

The council was presented with an opportunity to apply in a partnership with Sylvan Township for $10 million in federal grants to assist with the development of the trail, which could be part of the Camp Ripley Veterans State Trail, with statewide implications for connections to other trail systems. For the City Council, the decision came with the understanding there would be staff time needed as Baxter would serve as the fiscal agent and city costs associated with the project.

Ultimately, the council decided to go with a smaller option to start, identified as Option A with additional land acquisition, which would add greater access to Mississippi Overlook Park with a road, parking area, extending a dry pipe for future water and sewer, and a paved trail that connects to the Paris Road and Jasperwood intersection to link with the Paul Bunyan State Trail. The grant application is for the Baxter/Sylvan Township Community Trail Grant Project, which consists of the capital improvements in Baxter and capital improvements proposed by Sylvan Township.

The council heard

presentations and talked about options through several previous meetings

and in previous long-term planning discussions for the 60-acre park and 820 acres of public land next to it.

MIssissippi Overlook Park, 6005 Oakdale Road, is on the bank of the river and with wooded acreage, has canoe access, picnic tables, portable restrooms and wood-chip trails.

Contributed / City of Baxter

Baxter’s land use plan identifies south Baxter as a potential corridor for a future east/west trail, and new federal money is available to build trails and recreational facilities that gain from Camp Ripley’s Sentinel Landscape designation. A trail system, with Sylvan Township and Baxter each taking parts to connect it, is expected to have a price tag of about $10 million. That trail system could also take on a larger role as the Camp Ripley Veterans State Trail gains traction.

The Baxter City Council and staff meet Tuesday, Feb. 20, as residents and property owners near the Mississippi Overlook Park expressed concerns for the plan, hopes it could address existing safety concerns and displeasure at not being notified earlier.

What was different at the Tuesday, Feb. 20, City Council meeting was public feedback as property owners who live by the parkland said they only recently heard about the grant application option, money for the access road and trail, along with the potential need to buy property for it. The engineer’s estimate for total funding of eligible costs for the project was listed at $3,383,384 in 2024 with total city costs estimated to be $507,507. Those costs were similar if slightly higher for the funding year 2025.

Property owners said they should have been notified and found out about the meeting through a neighbor. Trevor Walter, public works director and city engineer, said if the council voted for the application, which may or may not be awarded to the city, the plan was to notify property owners. Walter also said the plan for southwest Baxter land was the subject of previous public meetings.

A sign and some trees. — The Mississippi River Overlook Park in Baxter on Friday, Aug. 4, 2023.

Dain Barrett said the whole area was once all Barrett land and now they have the last piece on the other side of where the access to Mississippi Overlook Park is proposed. Barrett told the council they have people on their property who don’t know where the public land ends and private begins, even though the land is posted as private. He said something needs to be done with more law enforcement in the area, noting people are trespassing routinely and using the land the wrong way. He pointed to potential conflicts with people on the trail and firearms hunting in the same area.

John Ring said his interest was Red River Drive, which continues to have safety concerns and should be a priority in funding. That area was part of the overall project but not included in the first phase of funding.

Dean Renneke proposed alternate routes, such as using Oakwood, for the access he said the city had not considered following the power line and using an existing easement and using Oakdale. The city noted a study that determined the best way to bring the public to the park was to use Jasperwood instead of using a residential neighborhood.

What they all agreed upon was their description of the public property as a phenomenal and beautiful area.

The city noted the grant application is a concept with a cost estimate and an application deadline of April 1. Mayor Darrel Olson said they looked at the grant opportunity and may not receive it but there is still time to talk about fine-tuning. He thanked the residents for being there. Council member Jeff Phillips said the residents brought up good points and he suggested they sit down with the police department and talk about the issues specific to this area.

071121.N.BD.MississippiOverlook1.jpg — Mississippi Overlook Park Thursday, July 8, 2021, in Baxter. Kelly Humphrey / Brainerd Dispatch

About the park, land and project

The 880-acre area includes 50-foot-high rolling hills of high quality natural land that features high biodiversity forests and wetlands, 1 mile of frontage along Pike Creek, and ownership entirely surrounding Island Lake. The city of Baxter received the land through a combination of a land donation and various acquisitions through grant funding from the U.S. Department of Defense Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration Program and the Environmental and Natural Resources Trust Fund, among others.

The city has

studied the park and used consultants to develop a master plan

for the land with the idea of silent sports, educational opportunities, camping, greater park accessibility and potential soccer fields. Another part of the master plans was a future Camp Ripley Veterans State Trail, which is a legislatively authorized state trail.

The Veterans Trail’s master plan envisions a multi-use trail system, which can mean motorized and non-motorized in different areas, that would link the Soo Line Trail south of Little Falls to Crow Wing State Park and the Paul Bunyan State Trail. The Veterans trail would link the Central Lakes, Lake Wobegon, Soo Line, Paul Bunyan, Heartland and Mi-Gi-Zi trails into one continuous recreational route, as stated in the

executive summary of the trail alignment and development

Renee Richardson, managing editor, may be reached at 218-855-5852 or renee.richardson@brainerddispatch.com. Follow on Twitter at @DispatchBizBuzz.

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Mississippi

Renowned New York dance instructor visits Mississippi to recruit for summer program

Published

7 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

Renowned New York dance instructor visits Mississippi to recruit for summer program

LAUREL, Miss. (WDAM) – A world-renowned dance instructor from New York visited Laurel Thursday to conduct a special class and do some recruiting for a prestigious summer dance program in the Big Apple.

Melanie Person, who is co-director of the Ailey School in New York, taught a master ballet class Thursday morning at Laurel Middle School.

It’s part of a three-day residency in the Magnolia State, organized by the Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Experience in Meridian.

She’ll teach two other classes Friday in Meridian before hosting an audition Saturday for a prestigious summer dance program at the Ailey School.

“I typically tour in about six to eight cities in the U.S., and I recruit dancers to come to our summer intensive, so part of this weekend, in one of the classes, I will be accepting students to come to New York for our five-week summer intensive,” Person said.

“We accept the dancers we like, and we see if they are able to come. The decision to come to New York for the summer is a big undertaking for families, so we just hope that they can do it.”

Registration is required for that audition, which will be held at the Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Experience.

To do that, click HERE.

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Mississippi

No. 12 Mississippi State’s Balance Shows Again in Road Win at Georgia Tech

Published

20 hours ago

February 26, 2026

Press Room

No. 12 Mississippi State’s Balance Shows Again in Road Win at Georgia Tech

Mississippi State has won plenty of different ways during this 15-1 start, but Wednesday night in Atlanta felt like one of those games where the Bulldogs reminded everyone why they’ve looked so steady all month.

It wasn’t perfect, and it wasn’t stress‑free, but the 8-3 win over Georgia Tech was the kind of road win that shows a team knows exactly who it is and what buttons to push when things get a little weird.

Alyssa Faircloth set the tone again, even on a night when she didn’t have her cleanest beginning. She gave up a game‑tying homer in the second, shrugged, and then basically disappeared Georgia Tech’s lineup for the next three innings.

Eight strikeouts in nine batters the second time through the order, back‑to‑back innings striking out the side. The only real hiccup came on another leadoff homer in the sixth, and by then she’d already done the heavy lifting.

And while Faircloth was settling in, the lineup did what it’s been doing all year: spreading the damage around.

Des Rivera wasted no time, jumping on the first pitch of the second inning and sending it out. When Georgia Tech tied it, Nadia Barbary answered immediately with a solo shot of her own. It wasn’t loud or flashy, but it was the kind of response good teams make without thinking.

The middle innings were more about pressure than power. Barbary worked a walk, Kiarra Sells split the gap for an RBI double, and Anna Carder did her job with a sac fly. Suddenly it was 4-1, and Mississippi State had the game exactly where it wanted it with Faircloth cruising, the lineup stacking quality at‑bats, and the defense staying clean.

The seventh inning, though, is where the Bulldogs turned a solid win into a comfortable one. Sells homered again, and then Rivera and Tatum Silva kept the inning alive long enough for Morgan Bernardini to drop the hammer. Her three‑run shot to center didn’t just put the game away; it capped off the kind of night she’s been stringing together for a week now. She’s 7‑for‑11 during her four‑game hitting streak and looks like a hitter who’s seeing everything in slow motion.

Peja Goold handled the final outs, picking up her second save and slamming the door on a Georgia Tech team that kept trying to make things interesting late.

What stands out most about this win isn’t the four homers or the 11 strikeouts or even the 15-1 record. It’s how routine it all felt.

Mississippi State went on the road, took a couple of punches, and never looked rattled. Rivera homered. Barbary homered. Sells homered. Bernardini homered. Faircloth dominated. Goold closed. It was the same formula, just in a different ballpark.

Now the Bulldogs head to Clemson for a weekend that should tell us even more about who they are. But if Wednesday night is any indication, they’re traveling with a lineup that can hurt you anywhere and a pitching staff that doesn’t mind carrying the load when needed.

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Mississippi

Mississippi Lottery Mississippi Match 5, Cash 3 results for Feb. 25, 2026

Published

1 day ago

February 26, 2026

Press Room

Mississippi Lottery Mississippi Match 5, Cash 3 results for Feb. 25, 2026

The Mississippi Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at Feb. 25, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Mississippi Match 5 numbers from Feb. 25 drawing

02-06-09-16-17

Check Mississippi Match 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash 3 numbers from Feb. 25 drawing

Midday: 4-6-6, FB: 6

Evening: 4-3-5, FB: 9

Check Cash 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash 4 numbers from Feb. 25 drawing

Midday: 0-7-2-8, FB: 6

Evening: 6-3-6-1, FB: 9

Check Cash 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash Pop numbers from Feb. 25 drawing

Midday: 10

Evening: 12

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.

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