Mississippi
This week in MS politics: Retirement board seeks special session OK of recurring funds
USDA letter on SNAP benefits likely not to impact Mississippi
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After a recent volley of requests from local leaders across the state to establish annual state funding for the Public Employment Retirement System of Mississippi, the PERS Board of Trustees is reiterating that concern to Republican Gov. Tate Reeves.
On Wednesday, April 23, the board voted to direct PERS Executive Director Ray Higgins to send Reeves a letter pleading with him to in the upcoming special session include a proposal to establish recurring funding for the state retirement system, which currently had $26.5 billion in unfunded liabilities. The letter was supposed to be written and mailed by end of business on Friday.
PERS funding and reforms became one of several political sticking points during the 2025 Legislative Session between House and Senate leadership. At the midpoint of the session, it seemed PERS was, as a negotiation tactic by Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, wedged into another debate over whether to establish a path toward full income tax elimination or phase it down.
The House had earlier proposed taking nearly $100 million in lottery tax revenue currently going to the Mississippi Department of Transportation and giving it to PERS to address the retirement system’s unfunded liabilities. The proposal was early in the session placed into a huge House tax restructure bill that sought to eliminate the income tax, restructure sales tax revenues to cities and raise the gas tax.
The Senate didn’t take to it and proposed its own tax cut bill without a PERS funding element, opting instead to restructure public employee benefits via other legislation. The House later killed those proposals as well.
As a result, Hosemann said he would not cut taxes without those retirement benefit reforms. The Senate later released and passed a new “measured” income tax elimination bill that also included controversial PERS benefit reforms. What Senate leadership didn’t know was that the bill included several typos that sped up the rate of income tax elimination faster than intended.
The House, realizing what happened, took it and passed it anyway, hoping to use it as leverage for several other legislative items the Senate had previously killed. Reeves later signed the bill into law.
One of those legislative items, House Speaker Jason White, R-West, said during the session was annual PERS funding.
As a result of the political drama that ensued and bled into state budget talks, leadership on both sides left PERS funding, as well as the $7 billion state budget, on the cutting room floor.
This leaves it up to Reeves to call a special session to pass a budget before June 30, when the state’s current fiscal year ends, but also an opening to discuss other political items he may want lawmakers to address.
Reeves in an interview with reporters in early April did not disclose what he was specifically looking to tack onto the special session, but he did not rule out anything out.
MS SNAP program likely to remain unimpacted by USDA letter
Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture issued a letter to state agencies overseeing SNAP benefit programs, stating it would review those states that do not require certain beneficiaries of the program to work.
A spokesperson for the Mississippi Department of Human Services, which oversees Mississippi’s SNAP program, said the state would likely remain unaffected by a federal government review or the letter.
On April 17, the USDA issued a letter reminding states that did not have an active work requirement that abled bodied adults without dependents, or ABAWDs, should be working or taking steps toward employment.
“Many states have abused the system by requesting work requirement waivers,” said U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins in the letter. “Today marks the start of a new era for SNAP — prioritizing work, career and technical education, and volunteering rather than idleness, excess spending, and misapplication of the law.”
MDHS spokesperson Mark Jones told the Clarion Ledger that the state’s SNAP program would likely remain unimpacted due to an already active work requirement imposed by the state on AWADs.
SNAP benefits, or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, are benefits issued to help low-income individuals and families purchase food. The benefits, supplied electronically, can be used like cash at approved stores buy food items.
Of all the beneficiaries of Mississippi’s program as of March, 22% of those receiving SNAP assistance are AWADs, Jones said. The work requirement generally requires beneficiaries to work 80 hours per month to maintain eligibility, unless they become exempt from it. Those receiving benefits can also participate in a work program called SNAP E&T to satisfy the work requirement.
USDA already annually reviews state’s SNAP programs. In addition, the federal agency also provides approvals of waivers to forego the work requirement in special circumstances.
Grant McLaughlin covers the Legislature and state government for the Clarion Ledger. He can be reached at gmclaughlin@gannett.com or 972-571-2335.
Mississippi
East Mississippi running back Gavin Griffin selected to 2025 NJCAA All-America First Team – Meridian Star
East Mississippi running back Gavin Griffin selected to 2025 NJCAA All-America First Team
Published 12:08 pm Tuesday, December 23, 2025
East Mississippi Community College running back Gavin Griffin has added to his list of 2025 season accomplishments by being named to this year’s NJCAA Division I Football All-America First Team. The National Junior College Athletic Association announced the organization’s first-team, second-team and honorable-mention football selections on Dec. 20.
As an NJCAA All-Region 23 honoree as well as being the MACCC North Division’s Offensive Player of the Year recipient this season, Griffin’s most recent honor gives East Mississippi’s football program a total of 36 NJCAA All-America selections during the past 18 seasons under the guidance of NJCAA Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame head coach Buddy Stephens. Dating back to the 2008 season, the EMCC Lions have had at least one NJCAA All-American in football during 13 of the past 18 years.
In becoming EMCC’s 15th first-team NJCAA All-American dating back to 2008, Griffin helped lead the Lions to a 7-3 overall record and 5-1 MACCC North Division mark while earning the program’s 12th division crown and 15th conference playoff appearance during the Stephens coaching era.
A Troy University signee, Griffin was twice selected as the NJCAA and MACCC Offensive Player of the Week this season while topping the NJCAA Division I statistical leaders with 22 rushing touchdowns and ranking second nationally with 1,168 rushing yards. With six 100-yard rushing outings on the year, Griffin’s top performances on the ground included a career-high 220 rushing yards and four touchdowns in 22 attempts during EMCC’s 49-27 home win over Pearl River. He also had 189 rushing yards and three scores in 23 carries during the Lions’ 34-28 road victory at Northwest Mississippi.
With at least one rushing touchdown in all 10 games this past season, Griffin had seven contests with multiple scoring runs, including an additional four-touchdown effort in EMCC’s 50-39 home win over Holmes. During the Stephens coaching era at EMCC, Griffin’s 134 total points scored and 22 touchdown runs this season rank second behind Tyrell Price’s NJCAA-leading 24 rushing touchdowns and 150 points scored during the Lions’ 2017 national championship season.
On EMCC’s single-season statistical leaders list during the Stephens era, Griffin’s 1,168 rushing yards in 10 games played rank third behind 2025 EMCC Sports Hall of Fame inductee Rod Moore (1,303 in 2011) and Lakenderic Thomas (1,334 in 2013), who both had the advantage of playing two additional games during EMCC’s respective national championship seasons. Griffin’s 207 rushing attempts this season are the most by an EMCC player during the Stephens era, breaking the mark of 200 carries previously held by second-team NJCAA All-American Deon McIntosh during the Lions’ 2018 national championship season.
For his two EMCC seasons, Griffin’s 1,722 career rushing yards rank third behind Thomas (1,724) and Moore (2,211), while his 30 career rushing touchdowns tie Price for the most during the Stephens era. Along with the 66 points that Griffin scored (8 rush TDs and 3 TD catches) as an EMCC freshman in 2024, the 2023 MHSAA Class 1A Mr. Football out of Velma Jackson High School became just the second EMCC player of the Stephens era to reach 200 career points scored.
EMCC’s 35 NJCAA All-America players under Stephens’ leadership are divided among 18 offensive performers, 15 defensive honorees and two special teams players. Leading the way positionally for EMCC dating back to 2008, the Lions have had 10 All-America quarterback selections, including NJCAA Offensive Player of the Year recipients Ty Keyes (2023) and Bo Wallace (2011) as well as two-time All-America signal-caller Randall Mackey (2008 & 2009). On the defensive side of the football during the Stephens coaching era, the Lions have featured eight All-America defensive linemen, headlined by 12-year NFL veteran Denico Autry (2011) of the Houston Texans and recently retired 11-year NFL standout Za’Darius Smith (2012).
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 Dec. 22, 2025, results for each game:
Winning Mississippi Match 5 numbers from Dec. 22 drawing
20-21-22-24-25
Check Mississippi Match 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash 3 numbers from Dec. 22 drawing
Midday: 1-8-7, FB: 3
Evening: 9-1-4, FB: 1
Check Cash 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash 4 numbers from Dec. 22 drawing
Midday: 0-6-1-7, FB: 3
Evening: 1-2-4-0, FB: 1
Check Cash 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash Pop numbers from Dec. 22 drawing
Midday: 13
Evening: 11
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.
No snow in a Mississippi Christmas
Published 11:11 am Monday, December 22, 2025
From the looks of the weather forecast, it appears I am going to be disappointed again this year: no White Christmas, no one-horse open sleigh ride, and no chestnuts roasting on an open fire.
Our songs and traditions this time of year sure paint a pretty picture! Unfortunately, almost every Christmas season I’ve ever experienced in Mississippi has found me wearing shorts on Christmas Day. I think the forecast calls for a high of 74 degrees on Christmas Eve, 73 on Christmas Day, and 75 the day after.
Even though the weather disappoints me, I love my Christmas traditions. As silly as it sounds for a grown man, I love Christmas socks and wear them throughout the year. I grew up with a mom who made fresh eggnog. I haven’t had any homemade in years, but I purchase some every season.
In true Clark Griswold fashion, no Christmas would be complete without proper outdoor Christmas illumination. To make it even funnier, you can’t see my lights unless you come up our very rural driveway. Yes, the lights are just for me.
Speaking of Clark and company, my sweet indulgent wife always watches Christmas Vacation at least once each season with me. And then there are my other favorite Christmas shows and movies: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Charlie Brown’s Christmas, the Grinch, and Home Alone. (Also, I vote that Die Hard is a Christmas movie.)
And because my wife indulges me, I’ve been known to indulge her by sleeping through, er, I mean watching a Hallmark Christmas movie or two. She’s just blessed like that. What a guy I am!
But moving on from praising myself, when my oldest son got married, his wife brought us a new Christmas tradition: the Christmas Pickle ornament. You hide it on the tree, and whoever finds it gets to open the first present. I’m not sure that one has much of a future. Nevertheless, I unabashedly love Christmas.
Here’s my Christmas rule: “If you quit believing in Santa Claus, you get clothes for Christmas.” Not this guy. I’m all in it for the toys. (You may be familiar with the adage that the only difference between a man and a boy is the price of his toys—I resemble that remark.)
And in case you are wondering what to get me, my sizes are .45, 9mm, .233, .22, .380, and 12 gauge. Smile! It’s all in good fun.
In the immortal words of Clark Griswold, “Where do you think you’re going? Nobody’s leaving. Nobody’s walking out on this fun, old-fashioned family Christmas. No, no. We’re all in this together.”
And we are. May your blessings be great, and your opportunities and abilities to bless others be even greater.
Merry Christmas!
“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people he favors!”
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