Mississippi

Promoting a place you love: Meet Miss Hospitality Natchez, Anna Simmons – Mississippi’s Best Community Newspaper

Published

2 years ago

August 21, 2022

Press Room

Promoting a place you love: Meet Miss Hospitality Natchez, Anna Simmons – Mississippi’s Best Community Newspaper

Selling a spot you’re keen on: Meet Miss Hospitality Natchez, Anna Simmons

Revealed 7:00 am Sunday, August 21, 2022

NATCHEZ — Anna Simmons, the daughter of Rachel and Sean Simmons, was by no means the pageant-going sort earlier than final spring when she interviewed with half a dozen different women to find who would grow to be the following Miss Hospitality Natchez.

Simmons, who graduated from Cathedral Excessive Faculty in Could, mentioned the pageant board spoke to senior women at her college to see who could be .

The preliminary interview for Miss Hospitality Natchez was three hours lengthy and the winner was determined the identical night time, Simmons mentioned.

When the winner was introduced, Simmons mentioned she was “excited however nervous” on the information. She knew she must get to work immediately to organize for the state pageant.

“It was unusual as a result of I’d by no means executed a pageant earlier than,” Simmons mentioned. “I used to be getting in not realizing what to anticipate so I handled it like a job interview. It was sort of enjoyable. The women who interviewed me have been nice and made it as least annoying as attainable. I believe it gave me loads of expertise to organize me for future job interviews.”

The pageant is for younger girls between the of ages 18 and 24.

Simmons was one of many youngest to take part within the state pageant in Hattiesburg final month, which consisted of per week of apply and preparation earlier than the precise competitions, she mentioned.

“To be so younger and be able to advertise the oldest metropolis on the Mississippi River to me is a giant deal,” she mentioned. “I used to be actually nervous … however this was one thing I used to be glad I obtained to expertise. Each woman there was unimaginable. It was a gathering of the brightest and finest in Mississippi and I didn’t meet a single individual that was not a smiling face and able to assist. It was a life-changing expertise for me. I obtained to satisfy folks from locations all around the state that I didn’t even know existed and met lots of people I really feel like I can be buddies with for the remainder of my life.”

Simmons now attends the College of Mississippi, the place she is majoring in forensic chemistry and plans to attend medical college to grow to be a forensic pathologist.

Her inspiration comes from her grandfather, Dr. John Lewis, who labored on the Mississippi Forensic Laboratory in Pearl.

Whereas many in the identical area may take higher-paying jobs in different states, Simmons—like her grandfather—needs to make use of her training to assist her house state in an space that’s a lot wanted, she mentioned.

Simmons mentioned she determined to compete for Miss Hospitality as a result of, whereas she has lived in loads of different locations, Natchez has at all times felt like house.

“I left this summer time for Europe for 2 weeks and it simply doesn’t examine,” she mentioned. “As somebody who has traveled and has lived in a bunch of various locations with a bunch of various kinds of folks, there is no such thing as a place like Natchez. It’s such a melting pot of cultures, religions and those that I don’t assume folks get as a lot of wherever else.”

As Natchez Miss Hospitality, Simmons is launching a social media platform known as “Miss Hospitality Natchez” that she hopes the following younger girl to have the title will inherit and preserve it going.

“To me, hospitality is the promotion of a spot you’re keen on,” she mentioned. “It’s the capacity to attract others to someplace with out being overwhelming and to specific how you’re feeling about a spot in a approach that’s fascinating. My purpose is to advertise financial improvement in Natchez and the state as an entire to the remainder of the nation.”

Simmons has been a member of Cathedral Excessive Faculty’s dance workforce, was a peer ministry chief of St. Mary Basilica’s Catholic Youth Group, a member of the Cathedral Excessive Faculty varsity observe workforce and danced on the Middleton Faculty of Dance. Her different hobbies embody mountain climbing, paddle boarding, touring and any outside exercise in addition to journaling about her life experiences.

Simmons will seem, with crown and sash, at a number of upcoming Natchez occasions together with upcoming music festivals this fall.

Source link

Mississippi

Who should be SBLive’s Mississippi high school player of the week? (Aug. 25-31)

Published

7 hours ago

September 2, 2024

Press Room

Who should be SBLive’s Mississippi high school player of the week? (Aug. 25-31)

Here are the candidates for SBLive’s Mississippi high school Athlete of the Week for August25-31. Read through the nominees and cast your vote. The poll will close Sunday at 11:59 p.m. If you would like to make a nomination in a future week, email Tyler@scorebooklive.com. For questions/issues with he poll, email athleteoftheweek@scorebooklive.com.

Editor’s note: Our Athlete of the Week feature and corresponding poll is intended to be fun, and we do not set limits on how many times a fan can vote during the competition. However, we do not allow votes that are generated by script, macro or other automated means. Athletes that receive votes generated by script, macro or other automated means will be disqualified.

Kohl Bradley, DB, George County: Racked up 17 tackles and returned an interception 80 yards for a touchdown in a 33-7 win over East Central.

DaJuan Colbert, DB, Natchez: Recorded 15 tackles, forced one fumble and returned another one 75 yards for a touchdown in a 58-50 win over Hancock.

Garrison Davis, QB, Holmes County Central: Completed 14 of his 21 pass attempts for 375 yards and three touchdowns in a 20-6 win over Vicksburg.

Xzavion Gainwell, DB, Yazoo County: Recorded nine tackles, an interception and an 80-yard interception return for a touchdown in the Panthers’ 20-16 win over South Delta.

Elijah Jones, RB, West Jones: Had 24 carries 226 yards and four touchdowns in a 34-6 win over Laurel.

Kingi McNair, WR, Pearl: Caught four passes for 160 yards and two touchdowns in a 26-20 win over Neshoba Central.

Ashton Nichols, DB, Clinton: Recorded six tackles to go with two big pass breakups, a blocked punt and a return for a touchdown in a 26-20 win over Warren Central.

Ethan Prater, RB, Pisgah: Rushed for 132 yards on 27 carries with three scores and caught a 60-yard touchdown pass in a 33-32 win over North Forrest.

Glen Singleton, RB, Madison Central: Rushed for 174 yards on 18 carries with all four touchdowns in a 27-20 win over Ocean Springs.

Damarius Yates, RB, Kemper County: Rushed for 193 yards on 17 carries and returned a kickoff 75 yards for a touchdown in a 38-15 win over Kosciusko.

Source link

Mississippi

‘If they cannot play Thalia Hall, they cannot play in Mississippi at all’: Broadway in Jackson speaks out about possible show cancellations

Published

14 hours ago

September 2, 2024

Press Room

‘If they cannot play Thalia Hall, they cannot play in Mississippi at all’: Broadway in Jackson speaks out about possible show cancellations

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – It’s been one month since Thalia Mara Hall closed its doors due to a mold outbreak.

Innovation Arts and Entertainment is the company responsible for bringing Broadway productions to Jackson.

Representatives from the company visited Jackson after hearing the building had been closed.

CEO Adam Epstein says the City of Jackson did not inform them of the news.

“We did not find out from anybody within the city. We found out by reading news clippings forwarded to us by other people in Jackson,” Epstein said.

Certified Industrial Hygienic Testing reported visible dirt, debris, and suspected mold growth on many surfaces.

Epstein fears this could change the possibility of bigger shows coming to the capital city.

“They’re going to skip over us because of this mess. We need to show as a community that Jackson cares about this valuable asset and that we demand our elected leaders to support and treat this really, incredibly valuable asset with the TLC it deserves,” he said.

Thalia Mara Hall is the only venue in the state that can host a Broadway production due to the technical needs and accommodations required.

“Touring theatrical shows. If they cannot play Thalia Hall, they cannot play in Mississippi at all,” he said.

Broadway in Jackson is not only a great source of entertainment in the city, but it’s also beneficial economically.

“Those other businesses don’t benefit. The city doesn’t earn tax revenue from events that we present. They don’t earn rental income from the events we present. They don’t earn facility fees from the events we present. This is a real tragedy. It’s unacceptable.”

The well-being of the potential audience is the company’s main priority.

“I will not risk our ticket buyers’ health and safety and comfort. Our shows can and will cancel before we’d ever put somebody in jeopardy. We’ve issued a 100% guarantee of a full refund if the venue is not given a clean bill of health,” Epstein said.

All shows will be canceled on a case-to-case basis.

Want more WLBT news in your inbox? Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.

See a spelling or grammar error in our story? Please click here to report it and include the headline of the story in your email.

Source link

Mississippi

Tire failure suspected in deadly Mississippi bus crash, NTSB says

Published

22 hours ago

September 1, 2024

Press Room

Tire failure suspected in deadly Mississippi bus crash, NTSB says

Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board are conducting a probe into Saturday’s crash that killed seven and injured 36 people.

The deadly bus crash in Mississippi that killed seven people and injured dozens of others early Saturday occurred after the vehicle experienced a tire failure, causing it to run off the road and overturn, officials and authorities said.

Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board, in coordination with the Mississippi Highway Patrol, are conducting a probe into Saturday’s crash that left seven people dead and another 36 people injured. The collision occurred at about 12:40 a.m. on Interstate 20 near Vicksburg, Mississippi, when the bus left the roadway and overturned.

The bus, which authorities described as a 2018 Volvo commercial passenger bus, traveled westbound when its left front tire failed, NTSB member Todd Inman said at a news conference Sunday. The bus then moved onto an embankment and rolled over on its left side.

Inman added that investigators will be at the scene for at least another week and are looking into several factors of the crash, including the vehicle’s mechanical condition, motor carrier safety, the condition and experience of the driver, and environmental factors.

According to U.S. Department of Transportation records, the bus was operated by Autobuses Regiomontanos. Records show that in the 24 months before Saturday, the transit company’s vehicles were involved in one fatal crash, two injury collisions, and a crash requiring a tow truck.

The transit company has over 20 years of experience and provides trips between more than 100 destinations throughout Mexico and the United States, according to Autobuses Regiomontanos’ website.

“Everyone at the NTSB sends their expressions of sorrow for everything that the survivors and victims of this crash went through,” Inman said.

7 killed, 36 injured in bus crash

The bus carried a total of 41 passengers and two drivers, according to authorities. It was traveling from Atlanta to Dallas when the incident occurred.

No other vehicles were involved in the crash, according to Master Sergeant Kervin K. Stewart with the Mississippi Highway Patrol. Six people were pronounced dead at the scene and another person died later at a hospital, Stewart said.

Another 36 people were transported to area hospitals.

Warren County Coroner Doug Huskey said two victims killed in the crash were identified by their mother as a 16-year-old girl and an 8-year-old boy, according to The New York Times. Authorities were working to identify the other victims.

Contributing: Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY

Source link