Area Breaking News
Brain boost: How a simple puzzle can boost learning, ease stress, and support brain health for life
By Lora Delhom Can a simple puzzle really sharpen the mind? According to a growing field of cognitive-science research, the answer is yes — and what’s encouraging is that these benefits don’t require expensive programs or rigid routines. They come from small, simple stretches of the mind that fit easily into everyday Delta life, the…
Read MoreMovie review: “Primate”
By Bob Garver It’s time once again for that magical set of releases on the cinematic calendar: January Horror! Unable to get a Halloween release, unable to compete in blockbuster season, and unable to dominate a random weekend anywhere else on the calendar, January Horror movies are released at a time when their biggest competition…
Read MoreAround Town – Leland Snapshots
USDA announces $12B in bridge payments for farmers
By Lora Delhom The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced a $12 billion bridge-aid package to help farmers manage continued market volatility, high input costs and lingering trade disruptions from the 2025 crop year. The one-time payments will be issued through the Commodity Credit Corporation and administered by the Farm Service Agency. Up to $11…
Read MoreHighlights from Christmas on Deer Creek 2025
Letter to the Editor: January 2026, Dianne Burchfield
Farmers, state leaders launch statewide F.A.R.M. strategy meetings
by Lora Delhom Farmers, researchers and regional leaders gathered in Stoneville on Dec. 11, 2025, for the first in a series of statewide strategy meetings aimed at shaping the Future of Agriculture Resiliency for Mississippi (F.A.R.M.) Strategic Plan, an initiative led by Mississippi Agriculture and Commerce Commissioner Andy Gipson. Agriculture remains Mississippi’s largest industry and…
Read MoreMovie Review: “The Housemaid”
By Bob Garver “The Housemaid” has unofficially sold itself based on how crazy it gets in its second half. This is slightly less annoying than when movies sell themselves based on their twist endings – at least here, the twist gets a chance to breathe, and maybe there will be other twists after the initial…
Read MoreBack to the Heart of It: What Happens Next Part V: The Quiet Revolution Becomes a Community Promise
By Lora Delhom On a clear, autumn-on-the-cusp-of-winter evening in Leland, backyard fire pits glow, and laughter drifts across yards like small, determined stars. Children carry artwork from their classrooms, neighbors linger along Third Street catching up, and storefronts spill warm light onto the sidewalk. Along the highway, rows of white cotton — Delta snow —…
Read MoreUSDA announces $12 billion in farmer bridge payments; Delta Council says help is welcome but “falls well short”
By Lora Delhom The U.S. Department of Agriculture this week announced a $12 billion bridge-aid package for American farmers to help offset continued market volatility, high input costs and temporary trade disruptions affecting the 2025 crop year. The aid, announced Monday by President Donald J. Trump alongside USDA and congressional leaders, will be issued as…
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