Mississippi
Mississippi’s title holders head to Orlando for Miss America competition
JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – In just a few hours, Miss Mississippi Vivian O’Neal and Miss Mississippi’s Teen Nataleigh Nix will board a plane at Jackson’s Airport for Orlando, Florida to compete for national titles at Miss America.
There are several firsts this year, including a new way state delegates will compete in talent.
Vivian O’Neal said, “Fun fact: I’m actually the oldest Miss Mississippi ever that we’ve ever had.”
Vivian O’Neal is hoping five will be a lucky number. She tried five times before winning Miss Mississippi and is hoping she will be the fifth young woman from this state to win Miss America.
She was also 25 when she won the Miss Mississippi crown.
O’Neal said, “I will do the absolute best that I can. And I hope, it is my sincere hope to make the state proud, to make my community proud.”
O’Neal has a private judges interview hours after she arrives in Orlando. She also says the Preliminary Talent Competition will be different this year. She will dance in the talent prelim Thursday.
O’Neal said, “This year, it’s just going to be a talent show and it’s called Miss America’s Got Talent and the teens will compete in talent during the show at four o’clock and then the Misses will compete and that’s it, all 51 delegates will compete in talent.”
Miss Mississippi is a published author. Her book Josiah’s Big Day is tied to her Social Impact Initiative CapAble focusing on those who live with disabilities, like her younger brother.
O’Neal said, “To have a story where you see a minoritized character is the main character and all his friends have rallied around him to help him advocate for himself when he felt insecure about doing so.”
Miss Mississippi’s Teen Nataleigh Nix is a senior at Madison Central. The Teen and Miss America competitions will happen for the first time, during the same week.
The teen winner will be crowned Saturday, Miss America Sunday. Her Social Impact Initiative is Acts of Kindness or AOK.
Nix said, “I started to research. And I found out that when you perform an act of kindness, you release the hormones oxytocin and serotonin in the brain, the love and confidence hormone, so when you are giving back to your community and those around you, you’re also building a better mindset within yourself, and you’re thinking more positively.”
Nix and O’Neal have been extremely busy. Miss Mississippi is on car number six and has traveled all over Mississippi since she was crowned in June.
Since April, Nix has made more than 105 appearances.
Miss Mississippi says she is pretty close to the limit on Car number 6.
O’Neal and Nix are also excited about the new partnership with the American Heart Association to help educate the public about healthy eating habits, exercise and taking care of yourself from the inside out.
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Mississippi
Thompson defeats Turnage to highlight U.S. House primaries in Mississippi – SuperTalk Mississippi
Political newcomer and Capitol Hill attorney Evan Turnage proved no match for longtime U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, who defeated him and one other challenger to earn the Democratic nomination for Mississippi’s 2nd Congressional District on Tuesday.
Some politicos thought Turnage – who went to Yale and later worked for some of Thompson’s Democratic colleagues, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) – wouldn’t necessarily win but could make waves as one of the more viable candidates to challenge Thompson in recent years. However, that wasn’t the case as Thompson garnered approximately 85% of the vote when the race was called.
Thompson, 78, is seeking an 18th term. The civil rights leader who chaired the Jan. 6 Committee was first elected in 1993 and serves as a ranking member on the House Homeland Security Committee. He will face either Ron Eller or Kevin Wilson on the Republican side, a race yet to be called as of late Tuesday night, and independent Bennie Foster in November’s general.
All of Mississippi’s U.S. House seats are up for grabs this year.
In the 1st Congressional District, Republican Rep. Trent Kelly ran unopposed, while civil rights attorney and University of Mississippi School of Law professor Cliff Johnson beat former state lawmaker Kelvin Buck in the Democratic primary. Libertarian challenger Johnny Baucom awaits Kelly and Johnson in the general.
In the 3rd Congressional District, both Republican Rep. Michael Guest and Democrat Michael Chiaradio ran unopposed. They will meet Libertarian Erik Kiehle in the general.
In the 4th Congressional District, Republican Rep. Mike Ezell had over 80% of the vote when his race was called against former Mississippi Department of Marine Resources officer and political staffer Sawyer Walters. State Rep. Jeffrey Hulum easily won the Democratic nomination over Paul Blackman and D. Ryan Grover. Ezell and Hulum will face independent Carl Boyanton in the general.
Arguably the most watched races of the night occurred in the state’s lone U.S. Senate seat in this year’s cycle. Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith had no problem with Ocean Springs doctor Sarah Adlakha, seeing her name bolded around 30 minutes after the polls closed. It wasn’t long after that when Lowndes County District Attorney Scott Colom was announced the winner of the Democratic primary over Priscilla Till and Albert Littell. Independent Ty Pinkins will meet Hyde-Smith and Colom in the general on Nov. 3.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Mississippi
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Staff
Sunday, March 15, 2026
1. (tie) “The Irish Goodbye,” Beth Ann Fennelly, Norton; and “Vigil,” George Saunders, Random House
2. “Theo of Golden,” Allen Levi, Atria Books
3. “The Widow,” John Grisham, Doubleday
4. “The Correspondent,” Virginia Evans, Random House
5. “When It’s Darkness on the Delta,” W. Ralph Eubanks, Beacon Press
6. “Eradication,” Jonathan Miles, Doubleday
7. “Neptune’s Fortune,” Julian Sancton, Random House
8. “The Dean,” Sparky Reardon, The Nautilus Publishing Company
9. “Kin,” Tayari Jones, Random House
10. “Brawler,” Lauren Groff, Riverhead
Children and young adults
1. “The Bear and the Hair and the Fair,” Em Lynas, Little Brown
2. “The Hybrid Prince,” Tui T. Sutherland, Scholastic Press
3. “One Mississippi,” Steve Azar,Sarah Frances Hardy (Illustrator), The Nautilus Publishing
4. “If You Make a Call on a Banana Phone,” Gideon Sterer, HarperCollins
5. (tie) “Fancy Nancy: Besties for Eternity,” Jane O’Connor and Robin Preiss Glasser (Illustrator), HarperCollins; and “The Dark is For,” Jane Kohuth, Simon and Schuster
Adult events (Sunday, March 15–Saturday, March 21)
Amy McDowell in conversation with Jodi Skipper for “Whispers in the Pews,” 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Off Square Books, 129 Courthouse Square, Oxford, 662-236-2262
Tayari Jones on Thacker Mountain Radio Hour for “Kin,” 6 p.m. Thursday, Off Square Books, 129 Courthouse Square, Oxford, 662-236-2262
Children’s events (Sunday, March 15–Saturday, March 21)
No Cap Book Club (kids 10-13) will be reading “A Kid’s Book About…,” 6:00 p.m. Tuesday, Square Books Jr., 111 Courthouse Square, Oxford, 662-236-2207
Storytime, “Clifford: Dream Big,” 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, Square Books Jr., 111 Courthouse Square, Oxford, 662-236-2207
Chapter Captains Book Club (kids 6-9) will be reading “Princess in Black: Bathtime Battle,” 6:00 p.m. Thursday, Square Books Jr., 111 Courthouse Square, Oxford, 662-236-2207
Storytime, “What a Small Cat Needs,” 10:00 a.m. Saturday, Square Books Jr., 111 Courthouse Square, Oxford, 662-236-2207
Story Time, “Very Hungry Caterpillar” Day! 10 a.m. Saturday, Lemuria Books, 202 Banner Hall, 4465 I-55 North, Jackson, 601-366-7619
— Sales and/or Events Reported by Lemuria Books (Jackson); Lorelei Books (Vicksburg); Square Books (Oxford).
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