Mississippi
Mississippi State’s Hunter Washington ready to put topsy-turvy 2023 behind him
STARKVILLE — Hunter Washington found himself on plenty of highlight tape last season, and not in a good way.
When LSU visited Davis Wade Stadium on Sept. 16, Washington was frequently matched up against Malik Nabers, one of the top three wide receivers in all of college football. Tigers quarterback and eventual Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels spotted the mismatch and went to work, firing two long touchdown passes to Nabers, who beat Washington in coverage both times. Nabers finished the day with 239 receiving yards in a 41-14 LSU romp.
Washington, now entering his third year at Mississippi State after starting his college career at Florida State, started the Bulldogs’ first four games but gave way to Corey Ellington on the safety depth chart, then missed the last five games of 2023 with an injury.
There is a path for Washington to return to a starting role this fall — Ellington and Isaac Smith are near locks to start at safety, but the third spot is up for grabs, with Washington battling junior college transfer Brylan Lanier.
“I’m just glad to be back,” Washington said Wednesday. “Just doing my job and doing what I’m supposed to do. My job is to play for the team and do what the coaches ask me to do.”
As a true freshman with the Seminoles, Washington appeared in just one game, keeping his redshirt status intact, but was named Florida State’s special teams scout player of the year. He played in nine games in his first year at MSU but had just three tackles, then broke into the starting lineup at the beginning of last season.
Now a redshirt junior, Washington is one of the leaders in a young safeties room under new position coach Matt Barnes.
“Hunter’s going to come down and hit you. He’s a strong guy,” linebacker Stone Blanton said. “He’s vocal. He’s always calling out plays and helping us get aligned. That’s what you want from a safety, a guy coming down behind you. He’s big enough to come hit a running back. He’s a great leader.”
Miner ready to experience non-conference games from the other side
Ethan Miner, the Bulldogs’ projected starter at center, is playing in a so-called high-major conference for the first time after spending four years at Arkansas State and one season at North Texas.
But he has plenty of experience playing in big stadiums against the big boys of the sport. His first collegiate start came in 2020, when the Red Wolves upset Kansas State on the road, and he was Arkansas State’s starting center for trips to Washington and Ohio State in 2021 and 2022, respectively.
“I’m just looking forward to having a home crowd that’s going to be the way it is (in Starkville),” Miner said. “I’ve heard about the cowbells, the fans are crazy. Coming from (the Group of 5), these were the games where I have to lock in, the crowd’s going to play a factor in the game. It’s just nice that this is our home and we have an advantage with it.”
MSU hosts Eastern Kentucky on Aug. 31 in the season opener and later plays Toledo and Massachusetts at home in non-conference play. All three teams will undoubtedly be fired up to play in a Southeastern Conference venue, while teams from the power conferences sometimes sleepwalk through “buy games” or are caught looking ahead.
The Colonels may be an FCS team, but they gave Kentucky a battle in Week 2 last year, leading for almost the entire first half and again early in the second half before losing 28-17.
“When I was at Arkansas State and UNT, these games would come up and this was the game I had to show up,” Miner said. “We’re playing in a lower level conference; scouts are going to see how you play against this competition. The worst thing we can do is underestimate (Eastern Kentucky), say, ‘Oh, they’re an FCS team.’ That’s how you get into situations like Kentucky did last year.”
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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 May 6, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Mississippi Match 5 numbers from May 6 drawing
02-05-30-33-35
Check Mississippi Match 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash 3 numbers from May 6 drawing
Midday: 6-6-3, FB: 6
Evening: 4-6-0, FB: 3
Check Cash 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash 4 numbers from May 6 drawing
Midday: 6-7-2-3, FB: 6
Evening: 7-5-1-3, FB: 3
Check Cash 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash Pop numbers from May 6 drawing
Midday: 15
Evening: 14
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.
‘My goal was to be a biologist and be the best one I could be. I try to do the best I can do at whatever I’m doing.’
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Staff
A number of familiar names have shifted into new roles at the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks and among them is Amy Blaylock who is the first woman to lead the wildlife division.
“I feel honored and blessed,” Blaylock said. “I’m excited.
“I wouldn’t say it was necessarily a goal of mine. My goal was to be a biologist and be the best one I could be. I try to do the best I can do at whatever I’m doing.”
Blaylock joined the department in 2007 after receiving her undergraduate degree in forestry and master’s degree in wildlife science at Mississippi State University. It was an education and career path that came naturally for her.
Her father, Larry Castle, had a career with the agency as did an uncle, Bennie Herring.
“Of course, I love the outdoors and hunting,” Blaylock said. “I hunt as much as I can.
“My kids take up a lot of my time now, but deer hunting is what I do most of. I’ve grown up with the agency with my daddy and my uncle. I guess that encouraged my passion for the agency.”
New role as wildlife chief is not Blaylock’s first groundbreaking move
Blaylock began her career with MDWFP as a biologist with the deer program. She then moved into the role of East Central Region wildlife management area biologist where she oversaw management of 11 WMAs. During that time, she also served as wildlife restoration coordinator and was responsible for writing and managing grants that assisted in funding the Wildlife Bureau.
In 2017, Blaylock accepted an offer to become the assistant chief of the wildlife division. With that, she became the first woman to serve in a top role in the agency.
“I enjoyed being in the assistant chief position, and, so far, I love being in this position,” Blaylock said.
More position changes in MDWFP
Blaylock is not the only person to recently take on a new role at MDWFP. Russ Walsh left the position of chief of the wildlife division, which Blaylock assumed and is now the director of public policy.
Adam Butler also moved into a new position. Butler was previously the director of conservation programs and before that, he was the Wild Turkey Program coordinator. Butler was recently named the assistant chief of wildlife.
A lifelong outdoorsman and wildlife enthusiast, Brian Broom has been writing about hunting, fishing and Mississippi’s outdoors for the Clarion Ledger for more than 14 years. He can be reached at 601-961-7225 or bbroom@gannett.com.
PINE BELT, Miss. (WDAM) – Mississippi lawmakers will return to the State Capitol later in May after Gov. Tate Reeves called a special session.
According to Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, the session will be limited to redistricting the state’s Supreme Court districts. He emphasized that lawmakers can only address the issues outlined by the governor in the official call.
He says after a recent Supreme Court decision, federal requirements driving previous plans are no longer in play.
Hosemann argued that redistricting decisions should remain in the hands of state leaders, taking into account factors like geography, economics and the interests of communities across Mississippi.
“We believe one man, one vote,” Hosemann said. “I mean, everybody ought to be able to vote. I’ve never liked it where the federal government told me that I had to have so many people for this or that or the other. Running our elections and redistricting ourselves is given to the legislature that’s elected by the people. And we ought not be ordered by the federal court to do something like that. That’s one of the few states’ rights we have left in this country, is that we can redistrict and run our own elections.”
The special session is scheduled for later this month.
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