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Freddy Lopez, the new owner of the new tire shop on East Hardy Street in Hattiesburg, says he opened a new tire shop to help the community during struggling times. He's a familiar face to most as he spent years working at other tire shops. However, Freddy told Hattiesburg News, people can't afford high prices for used tires but people need new tires so he was stuck between helping the community and making a huge profit. So he left and decided he want to help the community. Freddy promises to work with everybody who needs a tire, regardless if they can afford his prices or not. "I see a lot of need in this business. I like helping others. I want to be fair with the prices," Freddy told Hattiesburg News. Another reason Freddy opened his new tire shop is to expand services. "We do everything: plug, patches, rotations, mount and balances, lawnmower tires and ATV's," Freddy said. The tire shop is open Monday through Friday from 8am to 6pm, Saturday from 8am to 4pm, and Sunday from 8am to 12pm. The tire shop number is 601.307.4703.

Red Lobster has permanently closed its location today in Hattiesburg, MS. They closed the location without a warning to employees. Several employees showed up to work only to find a note on the door saying the store has been shut down. "This location is closed," the note on the door read. "We look forward to serving you at another Red Lobster location in the future," it continued to read. However, Hattiesburg News spoke with the District Manager who said there's NOT another nearby location. She too was at the Hattiesburg store and said that Reb Lobster has no comment at this time. One employee who wanted to remain anonymous said she was in shock! "I pulled up here expecting to work and I'm turned around at the door. This is very messed up!" According to the District Manager, Reb Lobster also was not interested in helping its employees find another job as other restaurants are seeking employment. Red Lobster employees may find plenty of jobs available at the 6th Annual Summer Job Fair in Hattiesburg, MS on June 3 at the Jackie Dole Community Center. Today, multiple Red Lobster locations around the country closed without notice to their employees. 3 Reb Lobsters in New York, multiple Red Lobsters in Florida, 6 in the Orlando area alone, and notably in Danville where there they had been in business for 31 years. It has been reported that the closings are in part to avoid filing for bankruptcy as the company is looking to sell the business as a whole.

Thousands are expected to sellout the Forrest County Multi-Purpose Center for the 37th Annual Mother's Day Blues Show, featuring some of music's biggest stars. The gates open at 10:00am on Sunday, May 12, 2024. The show starts at 2:00pm. Some of music biggest stars will perform including Big Pokey, West Love, Juwon, PC Band, & PFJ Band. John Reid, the show's producer, told Hattiesburg News, the event is open to everybody. "This is like a family event. If you're going to the park or if you're going to the beach, come on out! We supply the music. We supply the entertainment!" John also said grills, tents, and lawn chairs are welcome. But if you don't feel like cooking, there're plenty of vendors who will be cooking as well. For tickets or more info call 601.466.0416.

The Hattiesburg News caught up with Mississippi All-Star Basketball Player Kendrick Simmons for an exclusive interview. Kedrick, a junior at Booneville High School, by far is one of the most talented players in Mississippi. He has offers from some of the biggest universities in the country. But what makes him so special and why is he so talked about, being regarded as one of the best players in state? We asked him and you'd be surprise to hear his answers. So, what's his special talent? Dancing! Although we never got a clip of his dance moves, he says dancing is what makes him special and is his special talent. Whether that's Kyrie Irving dancing or Chris Brown dancing still remains to be seen. He has multiple offers, including from Mississippi State and Southern Miss, among others. His number one choice is playing basketball at Tennessee. Kedrick is versatile. He can dominate and play any position from point guard where he's quick, fast, and elusive to playing the big man as the center, often showing off his muscles and strength. Not surprisingly, his favorite college team is Kansas. His favorite NBA Team is Oklahoma. His favorite basketball player is Lebron James. Less than 7% of athletes gets a chance to play college sports. Less than 1% gets a once in a lifetime opportunity to become a state all-star. We asked Kedrick about what that moment felt like being selected as a state all-star. "It felt good!" Kedrick said. "I enjoyed my time there playing with a different group of players." This year's All-Star was held at Mississippi College. Kedrick is not just a state all-star, he was also selected as a Magnolia State Dandy Dozen. Both are very high honors which speaks to how good he really is as a player. That's not to mention he's a 3 peat state basketball champion, winning 3 titles in a row. Summer 2024 he's focused and locked in on what's coming next. We asked about his summer plans. "Focus on getting myself ready for college," Kedrick said. As far as staying in shape is concerned, "Training the whole summer!" the high school basketball star exclaimed.

Superstar Rapper NBA Youngboy may soon be released from custody according to his producer Noah. Within the last 30 minutes, he has been transferred to Weber County. YB appearing in court earlier this week, on Thursday, May 7, in Utah's Cache County Court. Despite having 49 charges, the judge set YB a bond for $100,000. He originally had 66 charges. His charges include fraud, drugs, and weapons as he allegedly posed as a doctor to get more prescription drugs.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — An unusually strong solar storm hitting Earth could produce northern lights in the U.S. this weekend and potentially disrupt power and communications. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a rare severe geomagnetic storm warning when a solar outburst reached Earth on Friday afternoon, hours sooner than anticipated. The effects were due to last through the weekend and possibly into next week. NOAA alerted operators of power plants and spacecraft in orbit to take precautions, as well as the Federal Emergency Management Agency. “For most people here on planet Earth, they won’t have to do anything,” said Rob Steenburgh, a scientist with NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center. The storm could produce northern lights as far south in the U.S. as Alabama and Northern California, according to NOAA. But it was hard to predict and experts stressed it would not be the dramatic curtains of color normally associated with the northern lights, but more like splashes of greenish hues. “That’s really the gift from space weather — the aurora,” said Steenburgh. He and his colleagues said the best aurora views may come from phone cameras, which are better at capturing light than the naked eye. Snap a picture of the sky and “there might be actually a nice little treat there for you,” said Mike Bettwy, operations chief for the prediction center. The most intense solar storm in recorded history, in 1859, prompted auroras in central America and possibly even Hawaii. “We are not anticipating that” but it could come close, said NOAA space weather forecaster Shawn Dahl. This storm — ranked 4 on a scale of 1 to 5 — poses a risk for high-voltage transmission lines for power grids, not the electrical lines ordinarily found in people’s homes, Dahl told reporters. Satellites also could be affected, which in turn could disrupt navigation and communication services here on Earth. An extreme geomagnetic storm in 2003, for example, took out power in Sweden and damaged power transformers in South Africa. Even when the storm is over, signals between GPS satellites and ground receivers could be scrambled or lost, according to NOAA. But there are so many navigation satellites that any outages should not last long, Steenburgh noted. The sun has produced strong solar flares since Wednesday, resulting in at least seven outbursts of plasma. Each eruption — known as a coronal mass ejection — can contain billions of tons of plasma and magnetic field from the sun’s outer atmosphere, or corona. The flares seem to be associated with a sunspot that’s 16 times the diameter of Earth, according to NOAA. It’s all part of the solar activity that’s ramping up as the sun approaches the peak of its 11-year cycle. NASA said the storm posed no serious threat to the seven astronauts aboard the International Space Station. The biggest concern is the increased radiation levels, and the crew could move to a better shielded part of the station if necessary, according to Steenburgh. Increased radiation also could threaten some of NASA’s science satellites. Extremely sensitive instruments will be turned off, if necessary, to avoid damage, said Antti Pulkkinen, director of the space agency’s heliophysics science division. Several sun-focused spacecraft are monitoring all the action. “This is exactly the kinds of things we want to observe,” Pulkkinen said.

A year ago, North Forrest Track and Field Team barely got more than 5 points in the state championship. Fast forward a year later with a new coach, North Forrest High School ends up the 5th Best Team in Mississippi. Why so much success all of a sudden? Number one, North Forrest has one of the most talented athletes in the state, Sophomore Da'vion Young. Da'vion contributed to almost half of the team points, earning 30 points at the state championship. At this year's Track and Field State Championship, Da'vion won first place in Long Jump as well as first place in Triple Jump. That totaled to 10 points each. He also added another 6 points when he received an additional medal for third place in 100m. "What these medals mean to me it's a great value on my heart because last year I was here I didn't place in no event and I had two events last year. This year as you can see I have four medals and it feels great. Deep in my heart I can feel it!" says Davion Young. The second reason is there's a new coach who all of the kids just love. The new head coach is Hezekiah Davis. He believes in the kids. He's passionate. He make sacrifices including at times, paying out of his pocket if necessary in order to get results like being 5th in the state. "This my first year coaching at North Forrest. Last year they scored 7 points. This year we're up toward 60 so far we've collected about 20 medals, gold through bronze. We brought about 14 kids this year that's more to my knowledge more than many years before," Coach Davis said. Success for the new coach didn't come easy as North Forrest High School don't actually have a track to practice on. The team drives to a community center to practice which is unlike any other team in the state. In addition to using another venue to practice, the track is concrete, which makes it even harder for the kids. "It's been a tough year but it's been a successful one at the same time. From our track situation; we don't have a track at our school so we use a community center and it's a concrete track but I told them it's no excuse to get better everyday!" says Coach Davis. Overcoming obstacles and redefining the definition of the word champions is exactly what North Forrest Track and Field Team did this year. Next year, they plan to climb even higher. One of the leaders of the team is Jaydan Varnado. He also has multiple medals and has improved dramatically since last year under new Coach Davis. We asked him about what it means to receive medals this year right after he finished competing in an event. "It means a lot to me because last year I came I came for one event this year I came for three. I still have an event to run but I got two medals so far so it just means a lot because I'm seeing progress within myself and the whole team as a whole!" Jaydan said. Coach Davis went on to say, "I love my job! I love these kids! Anything to see them happy because when they get that gold medal they come to me smiling and that's the best feeling in the world better than anything else. I wouldn't trade it for nothing. The kids ended the exclusive interview at this year's 2024 State Championship motivated by this year's success yet ready for the long journey to make it back by screaming just two words, "NEW TRACK!"

H attiesburg has another great coach besides the legendary well-respected Ernest Watson who brought the Basketball State Title back to Hattiesburg in 2023. This year, it's all about Coach Charles Green, perhaps one of the most respected coaches in the state who just coached his team to winning the Track and Field State Championship, for both boys and girls! He's a Hall of Fame coach for sure. Coach Green has produced some of the most talented athletes in the state, perhaps some of the best in the country. Hattiesburg News covered the event from the beginning and it became quite clear half way through this year's state championship that Hattiesburg High Tigers would win 1st place overall as the tigers maintained a 20 point lead throughout most of the competition. That's in-part to talented track stars such as senior Terrance Barnes and Jalen Hardiman. Jalen won the most medals for Hattiesburg, brining home two 1st place medals and a 3rd place medal. It took winning 11 first place medals for Hattiesburg to beat rival Ridgeland and just 3 extra points to beat Vicksburg. Hattiesburg boys won the state title with the score of 118 to Ridgeland's 85.5 and the girls won the state title 73-71 over Vicksburg High School. Track Boys Track Star Terrance Barnes won an astonishing 2nd place competing in the 110 hurdles, finishing with a time of 14:38, 1.3 m/s, winning 8 points for his team. Terrance also helped his team win 1st place in the Boys 4x200 finishing with the time of 1:27:93, adding another 10 points for Team Hattiesburg, along with teammates Kirus Darty, DeMarcus. Baker, and Tony Vance Jr. Terrance has been a star this season, finishing with seven (7) 1st place wins competing in the 110m hurdles, winning 7 out of 11 that he's participated in, six (6) 1st place wins in the 300m hurdles, winning 6 out of 7, three (3) 1st place wins competing in the 4x200 Relay, wining 3 out of 3, and one (1) 1st place win in the 4x400 Relay all this year. Terrance has a combine 18 first place wins plus 5 second place wins just this season alone. He has multiple track offers including from Clayton State University, The University of Indiana Tech, and The University of Montevallo. Another track star is junior Maddox Brown. Maddox competed in the Long Jump, becoming the 2nd Best Long Jumper in the state, almost beating 5 star recruit Deuce Knight from George County. Maddox scored 8 points for his team, jumping 23-01.00 in the state championship bringing home the silver medal. Maddox also was a major reason Team Hattiesburg won 1st Place in 4x100M, creating major distance between the other teams as he sonic zoomed past the other competitors. The team also included teammates Kirus Darty, DeMarcus. Baker, and Tony Vance Jr. Like Terrance, Maddox has been an absolute track star this year. Maddox has a total of fourteen (14) 1st Place wins this season. That includes winning 10 out of the 14 Long Jump events he's competed in this year. He has a 1st place win in the 300m hurdles at the Hattiesburg Seasoner Opener, a 1st place win in the 4x400 Relay in the Hattiesburg Super Regionals, & a 1st place win in High Jump at the Clinton Opener. Don't forget to add his 1st place medal from this year's state championship for those keeping count. Track Girls Surprisingly a freshman at Hattiesburg High helped lead her team to winning this year's state championship, contributing 16 points to Team Hattiesburg. Track Star Kenya Morris lead Hattiesburg Girls to winning this year's state championship as a freshman, winning 2nd place in the Girls 800m with a time of 2:33.47, adding 8 points to the board to her team. She also helped the girls win 2nd place in the 4x800 Relay along with teammates Ka'Nia Lewis, JJa'Miah Pollard, and Khrislyn Dedrick with a time of 10:28:71, giving Team Hattiesburg another 8 points. Kenya has performed well this season. She has won 1st place in both the Hattiesburg Regionals and Hattiesburg Super Regionals for the 800 Meters and the 4x800 Relay races. Even more astonishing is 7th grade Track Star Judawn Porter that helped Hattiesburg Girls win the state title this year. She won 2nd place in the girls 300m hurdles with a time of 46.16 giving the girls team 8 points. She also contributed to another 4 points when she won 5th place in the Girls 100m Hurdles. Even as a 7th grader, Judawn had an incredible season this year. She won 1st place at both Hattiesburg Regionals and Hattiesburg Super Regionals for the 300m Hurdles 30". She earned 2nd place at both regionals for Long Jump & Triple Jump. Here's a look at how Hattiesburg Track and Field Teams Competed in the State Championship: 2024 State Championship Girl Medal Winners: Ambrie Johnson- 1st Place 4x400, 3rd Place Long Jump Ka'Nia Lewis- 1st Place- 4x400, 2nd Place 4x800 Tamea Miller- 1st Place- 4x400 Temeia Ford- 1st Place- 4x400 Judawn Porter- 2nd Place 300m Hurdles, Kenya Morris- 2nd Place 800m, 2nd Place 4x800 Khrislyn Dedrick- 2nd Place 4x800 Ja'Miah Pollard- 2nd Place 4x800 Nyla Flowers- 3rd Place 100m Hurdles, 2024 State Championship Boys Medal Winners Jalen Hardiman- 1st Place 800m, 1st Place 4x800, 3rd Place 1600m Tony Vance- 1st Place 4x200, 1st Place 4x100 Kirus Darty- 1st Place 4x200, 1st Place 4x100 Demarcus Baker- 1st Place 4x200, 1st Place 4x100 Terrance Barnes- 1st Place 4x200, 2nd Place 100m Hurdles Maddox Brown- 1st Place 4x100, 2nd Place Long Jump Anthony Ratcliff- 1st Place 4x800 Antony Ponce- 1st Place 4x800 Logan Rich- 1st Place 4x800 A Garcia Martinez- 1st Place 3200m Kevin Oatis- 1st Place Shot Put Tristen Keys- 3rd Place High Jump

T risten Keys is one of the most talented and most exciting players to watch on the field, on the track, or on the court. Since we are in the middle of the NBA playoffs, a place Tristen could very well end up in a few years with his once in a lifetime talents, let's focus on basketball for now. We caught up with TK for an exclusive fun interview. So, let us introduce TK to the world! As far as talent wise, he's so talented that he could play anything from the 2-4 position. That's anything from shooting guard to small forward. One of the reasons he's a fan favorite is because he typically hangs out above the rim, literally. He's one of the greatest high school dunkers period. "I'm very versatile and have been blessed with many good abilities & those abilities catches a lot of people eyes!" -  Tristen Keys We asked Tk about why he prefers to dunk instead of shooting? "Dunking is a great ability to have but in game I prefer dunking because I feel that it bring more dominance and excitement to the game nowadys!" he said, although he feels what he does best is "hit the mid-range and drive." Speaking of NBA playoffs, we asked Tristen about who his favorite NBA Team is and obviously for a lot of young players in TK's generation, it's the Memphis Grizzlies. A big reason why is also because one of his favorite players include Memphis Star Ja Morant. Just watching Ja dance after he scores and watching Tk dance after he does something successful, you see why that's his favorite player. Yes, Lebron James is also one of his favorite players along with Kevin Durant. For a 16 year old in the 10th grade, standing at 6'2 and 177 lbs of muscle, he's special, he's talented, and he's different than most athletes on any high school sports team. We asked him what makes him so different than practically everybody else? He responded, "I think I'm very versatile and have been blessed with many good abilities and those abilities catches a lot of people eyes!" Indeed it does!

O ver the next few days, Hattiesburg Management Group will be in a tight fundraising mode. The firm is attempting to raise as much funds as it can to power the key events of the 26th Annual Black History Celebrations. Hattiesburg Management Group oversees the Black History Celebrations, the largest Black History Celebration in the state, through its Community Development Division. Most of the key events, which typically averages thousands of people, are held at the end of the month. Related Story: Black History in the Pine Belt: Everything You Need To Know Including The 26th Annual Black History Parade Most if not all of the events are free. The firm says the celebration is one of the biggest opportunities out of the entire year for the community to come together and honor those who've sacrificed so much, including their lives, be educated as well as entertained, and to build on the bridges and successes that has amassed over the years. Related Story: Ole Miss 4 Star Quarterback Aj Maddox Named Honoree to Receive MS Highest Award: Aj Officially Named Grand Marshal of Black History Parade The firm says it's very easy for anyone to support. Simply go online to www.HattiesburgGroup.com/blackhistory24 and choose how they want to support, whether as an individual or as a business. No size is to small or to big. And according to the firm, it's quick and easy. "This year we have a goal of $20,000 to power our Black History Celebrations. So over the next few days I'll be reaching out to various community leaders, business leaders, community organizations, our pastors, & our churches. We want everyone to be able to participate in helping to power these Black History Celebrations throughout the Pine Belt," says Dee Moye, Chair of the Black History Celebrations Executive Committee. The firm says the funds not only help cover the operating expenses such as feeding marching bands and powering the fireworks show, but it also helps market outside of the Pine Belt, bringing in more people into the area, increasing tourism and helping to grow the economy. Dee, who is the Principal and Group Chief Executive of the HMG Firm, says everything is open to the public and free. "All of our Black History Celebrations events are absolutely free to the public," he explained. "We're not just talking about celebrating Black History we're actually all participating in coming together as a community in hopes that we can perhaps manifest this year's theme, 'Am I My Brother's Keeper', coming together everybody giving something pitching in so that we can come together as a community to celebrate," says Dee. "I believe that this will be the very best Black History Celebrations that we've had in a long time," he said excitingly. "Hopefully, we do good with our Pine Belt restaurants part of the fundraiser in which we hope to raise $10,000. Of, course, we present each sponsor with awards at the Black History Ball, thanking them and acknowledging them before the community for partnering and helping power Black History in the Pine Belt," he explained. We worked really well together powering the MS vs AL All-Star game. HMG is not a stranger to big events. They also manage one of the state's biggest job fairs held annually in downtown Hattiesburg and manage powering the state's all-star games. Considering the success of other events and the firm's success history, this goal shouldn't be a problem.

"You're not only a great athlete and student, but you're a great young man overall!!"- Councilman Nick Brown, City of Hattiesburg. A nthony Aj Maddox Jr. has been named the honoree for the 26th Annual Black History Celebration 2024, serving as Grand Marshal of the 26th Annual Black History Parade. The parade is Saturday, March 2 on Eastside Ave at 12:00 Noon. Parade Route The parade will line-up at Rock of Ages Church. The parade will march along Eastside Ave turning left onto JC Killingsworth then right onto Country Club Rd heading into Vernon Dahmer Park where the parade will end and the celebrations will begin. To sign up for the parade visit www.GetHattiesburgNews.com/community . Related Story : Black History in the Pine Belt: Everything You Need To Know Including The 26th Annual Black History Parade History in the Making At only 18 years old, Aj has made history, becoming the youngest person to ever be named Grand Marshal of the famous Black History Parade. Aj, who led the Oak Grove Warriors to victory winning this year's football 7A State Championship, will be officially crowned grand marshal and receive his first lifetime achievement award on Tuesday, February 27 at 6pm, only a few days before the actual parade, during the Black History Ball at the Jackie Dole Community Center in downtown Hattiesburg. Past Grand Marshals Some of Mississippi's brightest, most powerful, and most influential African Americans have all served as Grand Marshal of the famous Black History Parade. The short unique list of influencers includes: Related Story: $20,000 Goal Set To Power The Pine Belt's Black History Celebrations 2024 Lt. Col. Raylawni Branch, first African American Student to attend the University of Southern Mississippi, Mayor Johnny DuPree, the first African American Mayor of the City of Hattiesburg, Judge Deborah Gambrell, first African American elected in Forrest County, Vernon Floyd, first African American radio station owner in Mississippi and 3rd in the country, Councilwoman Deborah Delgado, Judge Carol Jones Russell, Representative Percy Watson, Judge Charles Lawrence, and a host of others. Family is NFL Royalty Aj's family is NFL Royalty. Aj's father is former NFL player Anthony Maddox, who spent years in the NFL, first being drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars and also playing for the Houston Texans. He played college ball at Jones College and Mississippi Valley University. His grandfather is Reggie Collier who played for the Dallas Cowboys and the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college ball at The University of Southern Mississippi. And currently playing in the league are two of his cousins: Jay Ward of the Minnesota Vikings and Tank Dell of the Houston Texans. Awards and Honors Aj has received multiple awards so far throughout his career, though this is his first Lifetime Achievement Award. Not only is he a 4-star ranked athlete, he's also ranked in the Top 10 Quarterbacks in the Country by ESPN, named a Mississippi All-Star plus starting quarterback in the famous MS vs Alabama All-Star Game, MVP of the MHSAA State Championship Game, Mississippi's Who's Who Athlete of the Year, WDAM Player of the Year, and on and on and on. "Aj is one of the most incredible human beings I've ever met in my life! On and off the field, he's as close to being a perfect person as you can get. Very humbled, strong leadership, very well respected by his peers across the country, extremely inspiring. Little bro is different. He has amazing parents! He entire family is amazing. He's a once in a lifetime person so it makes sense he's joining such a prestigious list of honorees," exclaimed Dee Moye, Chairman of the Black History Celebrations Executive Committee. Congrats from the Councilman "I would like to say congratulations not only on this achievement, but also on the achievement of winning state championship and earning your way to the next level!! Continue to soar high!! You are not only a great athlete and student, but you are a great young man overall!! We are so very proud of you!! Keep up the awesome work!" exclaimed City of Hattiesburg Councilman Nick Brown, Co-Chair of the Black History Celebrations Executive Committee. A Different Parade Dee, who serves as Principal and Group Chief Executive of Hattiesburg Management Group, the firm that oversees the Black History Celebrations through its Community Development Division, says this year's parade is very different. How so? Dee will directly produce this year's parade, something he hasn't done in years. "The celebration has grown tremendously over the last few years, and alot of that is credit to our Co-Chair of the Celebrations Executive Committee, Councilman Nick Brown, who's done an awesome job in putting together key parts of the celebration. We've always worked on the big picture and appointed some great people to lead the parade. However this year, I am not authorizing anyone to organize the parade, I'm working on that myself, personally leading our team and working with community leaders and hopefully, the community will see a huge difference!-" Dee said. Military Honor One of the special things included in this year's parade is the US Army. The National Guard will be featured in the parade and will also have a strong presence at the park, hoping to inspire young talented people like Aj. "The Recruiting and Retention Battalion of the 106th Battalion of the Mississippi Army National Guard is ecstatic to be apart of the 26th Annual Black History Month Celebrations. We're honored to pay tribute and recognize our veterans as well as motivate the future generations to accept the challenge," says SSG Sgt. Ahsaki Wilson. Parade Theme "Another major difference is manifesting our theme. This year's theme is 'Am I My Brother's Keeper' and I think you will see that brotherhood and sisterhood theme showcased throughout the entire parade. This parade is a tribute not only to young people, but also to the grand marshal Aj and you will see him honored throughout the entire parade," he explained. The Chairman's Interview During an exclusive one-on-one tv interview with Hattiesburg News, Dee, serving his 10th year as Chairman of the Black History Celebrations Executive Committee announced this year's grand marshal. The interview can be seen at the top of this story. "I am very excited about this year's honoree. This year honoree is a young person for the first time in our 26 year history, none other than AJ Maddox, the former quarterback of Oak Grove, Ole Miss Quarterback. He's just a very very special person. He has shown so much leadership on and off the field. You see so many student athletes from around the country who have enormous amount of respect for him!" When I was the Executive Producer at the Mississippi vs Alabama All-Star Game at the University of Southern Mississippi, there were 100 of kids, high school all the way to elementary kids standing outside the locker room waiting to see Aj and we he finally appeared the kids were literally screaming just to see him and Aj gave the kids almost everything he gave his socks his shoes he gave them gloves. You name it! He was just so eager to help inspire those other kids. When my brother was killed a few months ago Aj texted me a very encouraging message he didn't have to text me at all but that's just the kind of person he is and to receive the Dr. Peggy Answorth Lifetime Achievement Award is the highest honor an African American can receive here in Mississippi and there's no other better person to receive this award than Aj. He's one of my favorite little brother's probably my favorite little brother." Typically honorees include judges superintendents police chiefs mayors and senators and representatives but this year for the first time it's a student!" - Dee said excitingly.

B lack History in the Pine Belt is officially here and the Black History Executive Committee has released this year's key event schedule, which include 3 major events in Laurel and the 2 biggest events in Hattiesburg. You can see the official key event calendar by clicking here . This year's theme is: "Am I My Brother's Keeper!" City of Hattiesburg City Councilman Nick Brown, serving his 3rd year as Co-Chair of the Black History Celebrations, is encouraging everyone to come out to celebrate Black History! "We're getting ready to celebrate the 26th Annual Black History Parade and Celebration!" Councilman Brown said. "So come out and meet us on March 2 on Eastside Ave where the parade will begin and end up at Vernon Dahmer Park where we will have many activities. We'll start at 12:00 Noon and we'll go all day!" said Councilman Nick Brown. Black History Celebrations The 26th Annual Black History Celebrations biggest event is Saturday, March 2, 2024, at Vernon Dahmer Park, 1,000 Country Club Rd. The event is officially known as "Black Saturday" and thousands are expected to pack out Vernon Dahmer Park to celebrate Black History in the Pine Belt. Black History Parade The event kicks off at 10:00am with the Black History Parade Block Party in front of the Zo's Center, the middle point of the Black History Parade. The parade itself, featuring several marching bands, kicks off at 12:00 Noon on Eastside Ave, in front of Rock of Ages Church, marching to Vernon Dahmer Park. For more info about the 26th Annual Black History Parade click related story below: Related Story: Ole Miss 4 Star Quarterback Aj Maddox Named Honoree to Receive MS Highest Award: Aj Officially Named Grand Marshal of Black History Parade Grand Marshal This year's honoree is 18 year old Ole Miss's 4 Star Quarterback, Aj Maddox, who will serve as this year's Grand Marshal of the 26th Annual Black History Parade. Serving as Grand Marshal is the highest award an African American can receive in Mississippi. Previous grand marshals have included Councilwoman Deborah Delgado, Representative Percy Watson, Mayor Johnny Dupree and other dignitaries. Black History Ball Aj will receive his official award, The Dr. Peggy Answorth Grand Marshal Lifetime Achievement Award on Tuesday, February 27 at the Black History Ball in downtown Hattiesburg at the Jackie Dole Community Center. The Black History Ball kicks off at 6:00pm featuring a red-carpet entrance, food, a special invited national guest speaker to give the keynote address and a recording artist for special entertainment. Related Story: $20,000 Goal Set To Power The Pine Belt's Black History Celebrations 2024 Black Saturday At Vernon Dahmer Park, Black Saturday officially kicks off immediately after the parade. It includes a FREE Community Concert, a Step Show & Picnic for college students, Sports Tournaments including the annual youth baseball tournament, and ending ofcourse with the 3rd Annual Black History Fireworks Show. To vote for other community awards that will be given out on Tuesday Night at the ball, to sign up to participate in the Black History Parade, or to see other Black History events in the Pine Belt, visit www.GetHattiesburgNews.com/community . Black History in Laurel, MS Kicking off this year's first major event in the Pine Belt celebrating Black History is a ribbon cutting ceremony in Laurel, MS. Dr. Felicia Keys will have a ribbon cutting to her health clinic, Keys to Wellness, 1250 W 1st St. Suite, in Laurel, MS at 1:30pm on Wednesday, February 14. Food will be served. Dr. Keys is the first African American and female to run a concierge service. Dr. Keys also has a non-profit that helps high school students explore the opportunity of the nursing field. Other celebrations in Laurel include a job fair at Union Hall Multicultural Center next to Laurel's police department on Friday, February 24, 2023. Doors open at 10:00am. A hot free lunch will be provided to the community. Also in Laurel is a community Block Party celebrating Black History, which simply includes a Day in the Park, with fun games, activities, food and entertainment for Laurel residents to enjoy as they come together to celebrate Black History. For more info email the Community Development Division of Hattiesburg Management Group, info@hattiesburggroup.com or call 769.280.0542. To add your event to the community calendar, email hattiesburgnews@gmail.com .