Mississippi
Revisiting Mississippi – 60 years after the Klan murder of Civil Rights workers
In 1964 I quit my job as cub reporter for the Detroit News and left for Mississippi to cover Freedom Summer, headed by courageous youth of the Civil Rights movement and the approximately 1,000 volunteers who followed them there.
One of my first nights in Mississippi was at the home of a Black farmer who owned his own land. Near the front door was a small arsenal of shotguns and rifles to protect against possible trouble from night riders.
In 2024, I returned to the scene of the Ku Klux Klan killings of Mississippi organizer James Chaney and volunteers Michael Schwerner and Andrew Goodman, both New Yorkers, in Philadelphia, Mississippi, on June 21, 1964 — a crime that shocked the country, followed by the passing of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act of 1965,
This spring I spoke for three hours with Black community leader Leroy Clemons, who has organized the Neshoba County Youth Coalition, comprised of Black, white and Choctaw members, to fight for reconciliation and civil rights in Mississippi. He filled me in on some changes that have taken place since 1964, when most Philadelphia law officers were Klan members: “Back then no one wanted to talk about the killings, or the frequent burnings of Black and Native churches.” Today the town has a Black majority, Black police: and a Black mayor.
Back in the summer of ’64, despite widespread speculation that the three Civil Rights workers had been victims of the Klan, no bodies had turned up. So on July 17, Civil Rights volunteer Ruth Schein and myself showed up at the Philadelphia public library to learn more about Sheriff Lawrence Rainey and Deputy Sheriff Cecil Price, both reputed to be Klan members.
After a few hours of research, I left the library to get my car, but was accosted by a mob of five men who were suspicious of out-of-town reporters and started hitting me on the head and face with chains. After a while Deputy Price showed up, and in the confusion I was able to escape, retrieve my car, pick up Ruth from the library and leave town.
On Aug. 4, the bodies of the three Civil Rights workers were found buried in an earthen dam. Later, 18 men stood trial for the murders, most of them Klansmen. Deputy Price and seven others were convicted of violating the civil rights of the victims by killing them. Each served a term in prison of several years.
In 2004, Klan leader Edgar Killen was convicted of planning the killings and served a longer sentence, dying in prison.
In 1980, when Ronald Reagan was running for President, he stopped at the annual Neshoba County Fair to give a speech on “state’s rights,” in what was widely regarded as a “wolf whistle,” to broadcast his sympathies with white supremacists who opposed the Civil Rights movement in 1964.
References: We Will Shoot Back: Armed resistance in the Mississippi Freedom Movement, by Akinyele Umoja; The Summer that Didn’t End, by Len Holt; Witness in Philadelphia, by Florence Mars.
Here’s the nominees for Clarion Ledger girls Athlete of the Week for May 4-9
Here’s the five nominees for the Clarion Ledger girls Mississippi high school Athlete of the Week for May 4-9.
There were several top performers across the state in girls high school sports, but only one can be voted as the Clarion Ledger athlete of the week for May 4-9.
Fans may vote in the poll BELOW one time per hour per device. The poll closes at noon on Friday.
To nominate a future athlete of the week, email mchavez@gannett.com or message him on X, formerly Twitter, @MikeSChavez.
To submit high school scores, statistics, records, leaders and other items at any time, email mchavez@gannett.com.
Nominations
Kara Applewhite, Sumrall: Applewhite had four hits with a home run and five RBIs in Sumrall’s 10-0 win against East Central.
Caydance Brumfield, West Marion: Brumfield produced four hits and five RBIs in West Marion’s two wins against Pisgah.
Addison Collum, West Union: Collum pitched eight innings and recorded seven strikeouts and only two earned runs in West Union’s wins against Smithville.
Addison Cornish, West Lauderdale: Cornish recorded five hits and a home run in West Lauderdale’s wins against Choctaw Central.
Addison Davis, George County: Davis pitched nine innings with 20 strikeouts and recorded two home runs and four RBIs in George County’s wins against Pearl River Central.
Michael Chavez covers high school sports for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at mchavez@gannett.com or reach out to him on X, formerly Twitter @MikeSChavez.
‘We’re doing this to decrease the pressure we get early in the season. We’re trying to move that pressure on into later in the season.’
Bobcat stalks and strikes at Wisconsin turkey hunter
Turkey hunter Carson Bender of Wisconsin Rapids recorded a video of a bobcat that stalked and lunged at him as he hunted April 18, 2026 near Nekoosa, Wis.
Carson Bender
If a proposal made in the April meeting of the Mississippi Commission on Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks is finalized, nonresident turkey hunters will see big changes in the 2027 spring turkey season.
“We’re doing this in a way to impact how hunting pressure occurs and how the harvest happens in the early season,” said Caleb Hinton, Wild Turkey Program coordinator for the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. “We’re doing this to decrease the pressure we get early in the season. We’re trying to move that pressure on into later in the season.”
Turkey hunters enjoy a three-bird bag limit and a little more than six weeks of hunting in spring, which is similar to some other states. What is at issue is when it opens. March 15 is the typical opening date for the regular season, making it one of the earliest in the nation.
That early opening date combined with a growing trend among turkey hunters is where the problem lies.
Mississippi is a destination for early season, nonresident hunters
Possibly more than any other group of hunters, turkey hunters like to travel. For some, it may be a matter of seeing a different landscape and hunting birds under condions they don’t encounter in their home state. For others it may be a quest to harvest each of the subspecies in North America.
For yet another group, it’s the challenge of harvesting a gobbler in each of the 49 states that have turkeys.
“It seems to be getting more and more popular every year,” Hinton said.
Regardless of why a turkey hunter chooses to travel, it puts a target on Mississippi’s back because for the first few weeks of the season, it’s almost the only game in town, so hunters flock to the state.
In an effort to curb the amount of hunting pressure in those first weeks of turkey season, MDWFP proposed limiting nonresident hunters to two legal gobblers per season and only one of those can be harvested before April 1.
“Hopefully, it will help curb the massive influx of pressure we get the first week or two of the season,” Hinton said.
When will turkey season changes for nonresidents be voted on?
The proposed changes aren’t the first that have been geared toward alleviating pressure on turkeys in the early part of the season by nonresidents. In 2022, the commission passed a rule requiring nonresident hunters to enter a drawing for a hunt on public land during the first two weeks of turkey season. Currently, the number of hunters drawn is limited to 800.
Like that change, the current proposal will pass or fail by a vote of the wildlife commission. In the April commission meeting, the proposal passed an initial vote. It is now in a 30-day public comment period and a final vote will be taken in the May meeting.
Public comments may be submitted at https://www.mdwfp.com/proposed-rules-regulations.
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.
Mississippi
Mississippi high school addresses social media post, says it won’t tolerate racism or harassment
LAUDERDALE COUNTY, Miss. (WLBT) – A Mississippi high school has made a statement after a social media post involving a student surfaced.
Northeast Lauderdale High School officials say they’re reviewing a social media post involving a student.
In a statement, the school said administrators are aware of the post and are “reviewing the situation.”
The school said it is committed to maintaining a safe, orderly and respectful environment for students and staff.
“Neither our district nor our school accept or condone racism, discrimination, harassment, or behavior that is inconsistent with the expectations of our school community,” the statement said.
Officials said they are working with the appropriate parties and will address the matter in accordance with district policies and procedures.
The school added that it cannot share additional details because of student privacy laws.
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.
Copyright 2026 WLBT. All rights reserved.
-
Politics1 minute agoOversight chair seeks information from OpenAI’s Sam Altman about potential financial conflicts
-
Science7 minutes agoHantavirus fears heighten with 4 Californians exposed to the disease. Is the alarm warranted?
-
Sports13 minutes agoHigh school boys volleyball: City Section playoff scores and pairings
-
World25 minutes agoBolivia issues warrant for Evo Morales’s arrest after court no-show
-
News55 minutes agoWhy cruise ship passengers with possible hantavirus exposure went to Nebraska
-
New York2 hours agoAirbnb Turns to Black Leaders in Its Bid to Make a Comeback in New York
-
Detroit, MI3 hours agoMetro Detroit braces for Frost Advisory, Freeze Warning overnight before rain arrives
-
San Francisco, CA3 hours ago50 Beagles Rescued From Wisconsin Lab Arrive in Bay Area, SF Activist Faces Felony Charges