Mississippi
Special Olympics Mississippi torch passes through the Pine Belt
PINE BELT, Miss. (WDAM) – On Thursday, the Flame of Hope passed through the Pine Belt as three counties participated in the Area 17 Special Olympic Mississippi torch run.
This is an annual event for athletes that leads up to the games this weekend.
Dozens of law enforcement members passed through Hattiesburg today in the annual Torch Run.
“I don’t run as fast as I used to, but like I said it is just a small part I can play in helping out this great organization,” said Sheriff Charlie Sims, Forrest County Sheriff’s Office.
The run started in Petal this morning and law enforcement ran about 5 kilometers to city hall to pass the torch off to Hattiesburg and then to Lamar County.
This event brings awareness and helps collect money for the Special Olympics leading up to the special games this weekend.
“The torch run is also an event leading up and it kind of branded excitement for them when we leave,” said Area 17 Director Shaunta Fairley.
“It’s a brotherhood when you start talking about our police officers and it’s a good cause as well,” said Petal Mayor Tony Ducker. “Something like this – it’s all about the kids and the Special Olympics.”
The torch run started in north Mississippi this week and is making its way down south to Biloxi.
“I’m going to be carrying the torch all the way to the bank and getting ready for Keesler,” said athlete Adam Kelly.
The torch was lit in Ellisville this afternoon at Ellisville State School, continuing the run with Jones County and Laurel law enforcement.
About 80 people participated in the 0.7 mile run.
Many leaders also shared words of encouragement as the runners took their mark.
“The excitement is in the athletes faces when we show up and get to participate with us and do the run, get to carry the torch and it’s just a great environment when you’re around them guys,” said Chief Deputy and State Director Randy Muffley.
The games take place this weekend at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi.
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Mississippi
Mississippi lawmakers face pressure to counter looming federal cuts to health care after punting this session
Wicker: Mississippi powered Artemis II
Published 4:00 pm Monday, April 20, 2026
For nine days this month, space travel captivated the world. Families gathered around their screens as four astronauts strapped into the Integrity spacecraft docked at the Kennedy Space Center. As the launch countdown ended, four Mississippi-tested RS-45 engines ignited, and the ground shook. Seven seconds later, the Integrity had liftoff. For six intense minutes, the RS-45 engines rocketed the crew into high Earth orbit, sending them on their historic lunar flyby mission.
Mississippi should take a bow. The four RS-45 engines were tested at our very own Stennis Space Center, where Mississippians have been ensuring the quality of rocket engines since the Apollo program. For eight years, engineers, safety managers, and logistics specialists from the state have tested the engines that powered the Integrity and will power future Artemis launches. Their work paid off, and the launch was a marvel of engineering. NASA leadership made special mention of the rocket engine burn, calling it “flawless.”
One Mississippian in particular helped make the mission a success. Hernando native Matthew Ramsey handled a great deal of responsibility as the mission manager for Artemis II. The Mississippi State University graduate helped set the focus for the mission and equip the astronauts and staff for the job. Matthew also served as the deputy of the Mission Management Team, the group of NASA staff that comes together just days before a launch. The team assumes the risks of the mission ahead, and they make tough calls during flight if challenges arise.
As the Artemis II journey progressed, the world could not stop watching. Our social media feeds were full of photos and videos beamed down from the heavens. They captured humorous situations, such as the astronauts adjusting to life without gravity or testing their plumbing skills.
We also witnessed moments of majesty. On the fifth day, the Integrity began using the Moon’s gravity to slingshot our astronauts back home. That trajectory led the crew around the Moon, farther from Earth than any humans have ever gone. As the explorers looked upon outer space, they captured stunning images. Among the most remarkable is Earthset, in which Commander Reid Wiseman photographed Earth as it appeared to fall below the horizon of the moon.
When their spacecraft returned to Earth’s atmosphere, the crew was traveling nearly 35 times faster than the speed of sound. Ten minutes later, a series of parachutes began opening. Eventually, the spacecraft’s speed fell to 20 miles per hour, and the crew splashed down into the Pacific Ocean.
Mississippi was once again there to assist. The astronauts were greeted by the USS John P. Murtha, a U.S. military vessel built in the Huntington Ingalls shipyard in Pascagoula. The ship’s amphibious design was suited to welcome the space travelers home—equipped with a helicopter pad, medical facilities, and the communications system needed to locate and recover the astronauts safely. Crucially, the USS Murtha was built with a well deck, a sea-based garage that stored the Integrity on the journey to shore.
Artemis II was a resounding success, paving the way for planned future flights. When the Artemis program returns humans to the moon, Mississippi will be there every step of the way.
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