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JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The head of Mississippi’s prison system says he has started an internal investigation into the death of an inmate. Ronald Frederick Apgar, 39, died Friday at Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. An autopsy will be done. “We have banned an employee in question at the front gate of CMCF and started an internal investigation into our response time,” Corrections Commissioner Burl Cain said in a news release Wednesday. He said all findings of the investigation, including documents and video, will be given to the Rankin County district attorney. The announcement of the investigation came one day after the prison system first released information that Apgar had died. He was serving 12 years for grand larceny and false pretense after being sentenced March 15, 2018, in Harrison County. At least 16 Mississippi inmates have died this year, according to the Department of Corrections. At least 106 Mississippi inmates died from late 2019 until the end of 2020. Several died during outbursts of violence in late December 2019 and early January 2020. The U.S. Justice Department announced in February 2020 that it is investigating the state’s prison system.

Residents in the PCS Community off WSF Tatum in the Timberton area experience power outages as a direct result of the cold that's ushered into Hattiesburg as of lately. The outages according to Mississippi Power crews on the ground come from so many people using their heaters at the exact same time. Mississippi Power crews said it's a common problem especially during these very unusual cold days. The colder the weather, the bigger the house, the more homes it is, all contribute to everyone pulling from the same source. If you experience a power outage call Mississippi Power 1-800-532-1502.

It took almost a week or so for The City of Hattiesburg to issue a public statement as many in the community were outraged that a 14 year old black boy was shot by Hattiesburg Police, at least 5 times according to a social media post made by family. That statement finally came Wednesday, February 3, 2021 when Mayor Barker issued a pre-recorded video on his social media page in which towards the end of the video he stated, "But also understand that if someone breaks the law and threatens the safety of the public, or school children or the officer that individual should be prosecuted." There was immediate outrage from his own supporters who spoke out against his comments as many questioned the timing of the video as to say the mayor's focus is on his campaign for re-election, not the hurt felt by the community. "A week was way too long.. The way this was handled did not build trust with police or government," commented Karen Aderer. Deidre Craft commented, "Do the math he came out with a few days after he announced he's running again that was his main priority." Others argued the city has a lack of transparency or accountability. "Why has there been a lack of transparency and accountability from the city of Hattiesburg?" asked Cassidy Legih. "It's the lack of immediate transparency that fuels rumors," commented Donna Ladd. Dusty Gerald commented, "I think it's the lack of transparency that many are having an issue with. And I believe that is a valid concern." While some questioned the timing of the video and others the lack of transparency from Mayor Barker, others were outraged that the city's official response was the 14 year old black boy was actually a man, not a child. "When something like this happens YOU'RE THE ONES who report little to no or FALSE information like telling the media this boy is a GROWN MAN buying you TIME to get your claws into as many people as possible," exclaimed Josh Nobles. Some believe the officers tried to play judge and jury, which is often the national complaint from lawyers and activists when they feel someone is unjustly shot. "It's not the cop's duty to prosecute, to determine the outcome of whatever potential rule or law was broken. That is the duty of a judge and a jury," said Harlee Allen. Josh Nobles commented, "The Hattiesburg PD doesn't get to play Judge Jury and Executioner with the People." Yet Barker did have few supporters to come to his defense. "Damned if he does, damned if he doesn't. I usually don't comment but this was infuriating. I HIGHLY doubt the Mayor did this for political expediency," commented Warren C. Everett II, a black man himself. Anne Hyman Love commented in support of the Barker, "Thank you Toby! You're always "on top" of everything!" Doing a social crisis, one that appears evident within the boarders of the City of Hattiesburg, many African Americans are questioning their support for Mayor Barker who is famous for picking up paper in the Black community in wake of his comments which some perceive are insensitive at best towards the black community as a 14 year old black child still lay in a local hospital after being shot by his police officers. Toby Barker was elected in 2017 after defeating Hattiesburg's first elected African American Mayor, Dr. Johnny DuPree, in which voting turnout was low after an EF3 tornado had destroyed a huge portion of the African American community. No more updates have been giving about the shooting.

In a dramatic shift, the Forrest County Coroner, Butch Benedict, publicly apologized for the first time to the African American community regarding statements he posted on his social media page during a press conference held deep in the African American community at Vernon Dahmer Park, named after slain Hattiesburg's Civil Rights Activist, Vernon Dahmer, who was murdered by the Klu Klux Klan for registering blacks to vote which was first published by WJTV News in Jackson, MS. He spent the early part of the morning reaching out to African American leaders apologizing for his actions, including speaking with Councilman Nick Brown, who represents the biggest area in the city, which is predominantly black, and the honorable Clarence Magee, President of Forrest County NAACP, the largest branch in the State of Mississippi. Both community leaders, Magee and Brown were receptive. After going on almost 2 weeks of refusing to apologize, Coroner Benedict came forward to be held accountable for his remarks which he admitted were ignorant at best toward the hostilities that African Americans face on a day to day. Forrest County Board of Supervisors struggled with how to address his remarks which many blacks believed were racist and demeaning of the newly elected Vice President Kamala Harris, in which many believed he indirectly called her a monkey, a claim he absolutely denies. The Board, however, cited it had no real power over the coroner. He couldn't be censored, impeached, or recalled according to state law, neither could they suspend his salary or fire him because he's an elected official, hired by the voters not the county. Calls for him to resign by the highest of elected African American were ignored, including calls from Deborah Delgado and Nick Brown, the only two black members of the Hattiesburg City Council. No white elected official however called for his resignation. Protest were subliminal at best with no more than 20 or so people protesting, not the 1,000's blocking streets and major intersections seen across the country. However tensions were rising and the number of protesters were growing which were flamed by H attiesburg Police shooting of a 14 year old black teenage r near Hattiesburg High School. No public statement has been made by Hattiesburg Mayor Toby Barker to address either issues despite protest in front of City Hall demanding accountability and transparency. But things changed early Tuesday morning when the coroner had a meeting with a powerful young community leader, Derrian Moye, commonly referred to by local media as a local celebrity known throughout the community as Mr. Hattiesburg . Moye had recently created the historical Mississippi March, the Black Lives Matter protest of 5,000 or more peacefully protesters that marched from both Mobile Street & Vernon Dahmer Park to downtown Hattiesburg, the biggest demonstration in Hattiesburg's history. Moye for his part has successfully guided the African American Community through several crisis before including standing up against a powerful Hattiesburg lieutenant displaying a hanging noose in his locker that turned into a national story in which the officer later resigned as well as creating the largest disaster relief in the city's history after a deadly EF3 tornado destroyed much of the African American community . He was later dignified by the University of Southern Mississippi with the prestigious honor of "Hometown Hero." Benedict reference during the press conference it wasn't until he had a meeting with Moye that he understood how his comments had offended blacks in the community. Moye explained to the coroner that his comments disrespected black women and the black community as a whole. Moye explained using the word "monkey" in any context politically has generally only been used to demoralize blacks, specifically Black women in politics, something the coroner says he was unaware of, but still refused to apologize, citing it would be seen as guilt. Benedict consistently argued he didn't mean anything racial by no means and the fact that so many of his friends he's known for years thought he did moved him to even more frustration. He thought, "Why apologize for something I didn't even mean it the way some people think I meant it? Then that means I did mean it like that and I swear I didn't." Moye demanded a public apology as he knew tensions within his community was mounting with frustrations among the mistreatments and disregards of blacks. Moye knew the idea of a public apology let alone the coroner resigning was far fetched seeing as since the coroner had already spoken with members of the Board of Supervisors and others had called for his resignation to no avail, people with much more influence or power than he. Yet once again, as he did with the lieutenant, he stood up for his community, this time a little weaker than in times past having health complications. Nevertheless, he didn't back down but continued to demand he be held accountable publicly, so the entire community could see his statement. The coroner dug in with refusing to apologize as he was advised it would simply go away acknowledging the fact no one had any authority over him to manifest any consequences. He felt it would do more harm than good if he said anything publicly. But after 47 minutes, Benedict conceded and agreed to apologize after Moye made it clear the bigger issue is, 'powerful white men' can do what they want to offend others without any consequences or even acknowledgements of wrong doing & that time had come to an end. Benedict explained he's not a racist. He shared how horrible he felt about offending African Americans, specifically black women. "God I'd never say anything to disrespect or hurt women, especially black women. That's not me! That's just not who I am!" He went on to say, "I grew up around black people. I was raised up with black people. Some of my best of friends are black people! I'll do anything I can to make this right! You just tell me when and where!" he told Moye. He originally wanted to do it Friday or next week, but Moye insisted on something soon and moved forward with giving him only an hour to prepare his thoughts and a statement. Most leaders of the Black community didn't think he would actually go through with the plans to apologize. They felt like it was a waste of time because he wouldn't show up. They all stated they would be shocked if it actually happened given the fact so many people had reached out to him before, including elected officials and he always declined anything publicly. Benedict for his part agreed it's bigger than politics or party. A group of people, including his friends, community, and most importantly, voters of both races had been offended by his words and as a God fearing man, he should do exactly what the Bible says, stand up and apologize for offending his brother. After hearing a different perspective from Moye, he felt convicted by God to follow his heart to apologize especially to African Americans instead of following the advice others had given of letting it pass and attempt to let it die down. So a few hours later the two men stood not in front of the coroner's office or downtown at the county administrative offices, but in the heart of the African American community before cameras and on live stream with African American kids standing in the background. Standing next to the coroner Moye was dressed in all black wearing a 'Black Lives Matter' hoodie that depicted a large picture of Dr. Martin Luther King being arrested by two white men. As the coroner explained how he grew up in the same black neighborhood he was standing in as the only white to play football at Mary Bethune school in the 5th and 6th grade, he began to apologize: "Sometimes we can become offended by, hurt by, or angry with one another. Most of the time these offenses are totally unintended and often the person that causes an offense is not even aware that it has taken place. I realize that I have offended someone by the words that were written. I am truly sorry if the words used offended you, but the words written were in no way meant to offend anyone. I am truly sorry if I offended you." Benedict stated that if he had previously known the context of how those words had been used in the past to offend blacks, he would have never used those words at all. He said he learned alot from the situation in general and alot from talking with Moye. Moye said, "A white man that's an elected official for a county named after the leader of the Klu Klux Klan has come to the park named after a black leader the Klu Klux Klan murdered to apologize to the African American community for remarks that outraged African Americans is a huge step in the right direction. He didn't have to do it and nothing obviously could be done about it, but he did." Moye said he and the coroner also talked about other ways that the coroner can help contribute to the African American Community in the near future. He ended by saying, "Let's focus on resolving more issues within the community. As regarding the coroner, he's done something nobody else have done that's offended our community and that's coming out and owning up to it. We've addressed it. He's been held accountable. He's acknowledge it. He's publicly apologized. Now our community is looking forward to bigger issues."

Days after Forrest County Coroner Butch Benedict appeared to call the Vice President of the United States, the honorable Kamala Harris, a monkey, more and more Hattiesburg City Council Members are calling for Benedict to resign. Monday, January 25, Deborah Delgado, one of the most powerful women in the City of Hattiesburg, demanded he resigned. "He must resign!" an furious Delgado exclaimed. Many assumed that seem to signal other public figures would follow. And they have! Councilman Nick Brown, Hattiesburg's highest elected African American male, has followed suit of Delgado, demanding the coroner resign after what appears to be insensitive racist remarks. Brown called for an immediate resignation, "This is disrespectful, a sign of ignorance, and should not be tolerated! This should be a call for immediate resignation!" an angry Brown declared. This comes just days after Benedict was upset that Mississippi didn't file to impeach the newly elected President of the United States, President Joe Biden, according to a Facebook post made by Benedict. However, Mississippi Senator Roger Wicker did say he would not vote to impeach ex president Donald Trump for encouraging the insurrection at the US Capitol which left 5 people dead including a law enforcement officer. Councilman Brown says his point of view is clear, "As elected officials, we represent all races and genders. We are to uphold our duty and work for all these individuals." This comes at a time when President Joe Biden is calling for the nation to come together in unity as we are days from celebrating Black History Month, a historical month as Kamala Harris was elected the first Black Vice President of the United States. A dissatisfied Brown went on to say, "With that being said, the racist comments of referring to our Vice President as a monkey by the Forrest County Coroner shows racism and a lack of professionalism." It appears that the African American Community is coming together weeks before the 2021 city elections are to take place which could potentially be a problem for any candidate seeking office. According to President Biden, it's the African American community that decided to put him in office. A frustrated Brown said, "This is not how we should be represented within this country nor city!"

On January 21, Forrest County Coroner Butch Benedict shared a Facebook post from FOX News in which headlined, "Freshman GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene files articles of impeachment against Biden." Benedict shared the post to his page by saying, "My question is, why didn't our representatives for the state of Mississippi do the same? Glad she is taking a stand!!" Garrett Spiers then commented on Benedicts post by asking, "Who becomes president if he is impeached" in which the coroner wrote back an alarming response in which has angered the entire African American community, "Garrett Spiers must you ask? its' all monkey and footballs!" Forrest County Coroner Butch Benedict replies. Spiers then responded, "Butch Benedict Doesn't look good for us, the real backbone of the United States." These racist comments has set off a fiery round of rejections of once supporters for the once beloved Benedict. However, the validity of those rejections has come from one of the most powerful women in the City of Hattiesburg, Councilwoman Deborah Delgado. She has now demanded he resign. "He should resign!" the Councilwoman demanded. "The spirit the country just ushered out of the White House cannot be allowed to continue to fertilize the undercurrent of racism and domestic terrorism that caused the storming of the US Capitol," Councilwoman Delgado passionately explained. She is referring to Ex-president Donald Trump eviction from the White House by America in the 2020 presidential election, which in return led Trump to send violent criminals, which included some law enforcement, military, elected officials, and already FBI designated domestic terrorists, storming the US Capitol to try and overturn the democratic election in which 4 people were murdered by the insurrectionist. Furiously, the councilwoman proclaimed, "No matter what is said about love of country and patriotism, the fruit is bigotry. An elected official having the gall to refer to our Vice President as a monkey should not be allowed to hold office, especially when Black votes helped to get him there!"

Tom Brady took the Patriots to 13 AFC championship games, got to the Super Bowl nine times with them and won six rings. He's now 1 for 1 in NFC championship games with the Buccaneers, taking Tampa Bay to a home game in Super Bowl 55. According to this report by sportingnews.com, Brady can't match everything he did in New England in one year. But considering the degree of difficulty tied to new challenges — a virtual offseason and no preseason while starting somewhat from scratch at age 43 — this latest NFL playoff run is greater than anything we have seen before from the greatest of all time. Brady ended up being less pretty and more gritty Sunday in outdueling Aaron Rodgers and the Packers 31-26 in Lambeau Field. But despite three interceptions, Brady was plenty efficient (20-of-36 passing, 280 yards, three TDs, 7.6 yards per attempt, 108.6 rating) and made all the necessary winning plays — including his legendary 39-yard scoring strike to Scotty Miller right before halftime. The game played out much like most of Brady's first regular season in Tampa did. There were frustrating mistakes, including errant passes, missed connections with receivers who ran shaky routes and drops. The running game was inconsistent. The defense stopped the run as usual and delivered a strong edge pass rush, but it had lapses in coverage all over the field. Like in the regular season, in which the Bucs went 11-5 to earn a No. 5 seed as Brady's first wild-card team, the Buccaneers put it all together in the right situations. Like their two previous road playoff games with Brady, they found a way to shut the door in the fourth quarter with complementary football. Brady didn't come to the Bucs expecting them to roll through the top-heavy NFC the way many of his Patriots teams did in the often-weak AFC. There was a lot of unfamiliarity, both for him with his new coaching staff and his young teammates with him. There wasn't the automatic three-phase discipline he enjoyed so long with Bill Belichick, or an offensive playbook that had become second nature under Josh McDaniels. With New England no longer being the right place to support his talent, he had to hand-pick a team he thought had the potential to break through and win championships. To say he chose wisely with the Bucs is one of the biggest understatements in NFL history. Brady's 2020 season was one of his most brilliant statistically (40 TDs, 12 INTs, 7.6 yards per attempt, 102.2 rating), on par with his three MVP campaigns. Along the way, he had to mesh his quick-release and short-to-intermediate sensibilities from the Patriots with an aggressive downfield passing game with the Buccaneers. The Bucs had no doubts about Brady's arm strength, and he took every calculated opportunity to show it off, especially with field-stretching wide receivers as talented as Mike Evans, Antonio Brown and Miller. But when he needed different kinds of chain-moving and scoring plays, he went to his old reliable tight end, Rob Gronkowski, and his new reliable tight end, Cameron Brate. Through it all, slot ace Chris Godwin — when healthy — was his go-to guy and rookie Tyler Johnson was his secret weapon. That's how Brady operated a Bucs offense minus Brown to a tee against the Packers, while also knowing that Leonard Fournette and Ronald Jones have been taking turns as the hot hand in the rushing attack. His offensive linemen overachieved for him as they continued to protect the GOAT. There was a lingering question whether the Patriots' dynasty was more Belichick or Brady. Belichick's Patriots missing the AFC playoffs while Brady's Buccaneers won the NFC championship doesn't end that argument, but it confirms the type of winning energy Brady takes away and gives to a team. The Bucs proved there is a lot of talent surrounding Brady. Many of their big defensive pieces in 2020 also played key roles in 2019, and the holdover wide receivers and tight ends were big attractions even before Brady recruited Gronkowski and Brown to put them over the top. Brady also has been a conduit to head coach Bruce Arians and an extension of general manager Jason Licht. He met the challenge of motivating and empowering a whole different group of players on and off the field. At the same time, he played at a very high level and answered those who doubted, including the Patriots, whether he could still do so while growing another year older. Brady went through Drew Brees' No. 2 Saints and Rodgers' No. 1 Packers in their buildings, and his Bucs went significantly farther than Russell Wilson's No. 3 Seahawks. Those are the NFC's three other active Super Bowl-winning QBs and future Hall of Famers. Brady pushed the Buccaneers to be better than all those teams in the end, much like he owned Peyton Manning, Ben Roethlisberger and Joe Flacco over all those years in the AFC. It was as if Brady encapsulated 20 seasons with the Patriots into this memorable run with Tampa Bay, inventing the "Buccaneer Way" and perfecting it over a much shorter period of time. He did all of that with a chip on his shoulder and a smile on his face, to go with a rejuvenated mind and body. When it seemed as though Brady had passed the torch to Patrick Mahomes and other young guns, he dug deep to find one more way to impress us and pad his resume. With the Patriots, things began to look easy with the perennial Super Bowl trips. With the Buccaneers, everything was much harder, and it still didn't matter — the GOAT got his typical awesome results.

According to a report from ESPN, Henry Louis "Hank" Aaron, the Hall of Fame slugger whose 755 career home runs long stood as baseball's golden mark, has died. He was 86. The Atlanta Braves said in a release that Aaron died peacefully in his sleep. An assistant to Aaron said in a statement to ABC News that his family was asking for privacy at this time. "We are absolutely devastated by the passing of our beloved Hank," Braves chairman Terry McGuirk said in a statement. "He was a beacon for our organization first as a player, then with player development, and always with our community efforts. His incredible talent and resolve helped him achieve the highest accomplishments, yet he never lost his humble nature. Henry Louis Aaron wasn't just our icon, but one across Major League Baseball and around the world. His success on the diamond was matched only by his business accomplishments off the field and capped by his extraordinary philanthropic efforts. "We are heartbroken and thinking of his wife Billye and their children Gaile, Hank, Jr., Lary, Dorinda and Ceci and his grandchildren." One of the sport's great stars despite playing for the small-market Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves throughout a major league career that spanned from 1954 to 1976, Aaron still holds major league records for RBIs (2,297), total bases (6,856) and extra-base hits (1,477), and he ranks among MLB's best in hits (3,771, third all time), games played (3,298, third) and runs scored (2,174, fourth). But it was Hammerin' Hank's sweet home run swing for which he was best known. A 6-foot, 180-pounder, Aaron broke Babe Ruth's hallowed home run mark less than a week into the 1974 season, slugging his record 715th off Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Al Downing in the fourth inning as 50,000-plus fans celebrated in Atlanta. In one of baseball's iconic moments, Aaron trotted around the basepaths -- despite briefly being interrupted by two fans, including a young Craig Sager -- and ultimately touched home plate, where teammates hoisted him and his parents embraced him. Aaron went on to play two more seasons and finished with 755 career home runs, a mark that stood as the major league record until Barry Bonds broke it in 2007. Despite allegations that Bonds used performance-enhancing drugs, Aaron never begrudged someone eclipsing his mark. His common refrain: More than three decades as the king was long enough. It was time for someone else to hold the record. Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth's career home run record when he slugged his 715th against the Dodgers early in the 1974 season. He finished with 755, a mark that stood as the most in baseball until Barry Bonds broke it in 2007. Aaron finished his career with a host of accolades. He was the National League MVP in 1957 -- the same year the Braves won the World Series -- a two-time NL batting champion (1956, '59), a three-time Gold Glove winner in right field (1958-60) and a record 25-time All-Star. He finished his career back in Milwaukee, traded to the Brewers after the 1974 season when he refused to take a front-office job that would have required a big pay cut. Aaron was enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982, receiving 97.8% approval in his first year on the ballot. In 1999, MLB created the Hank Aaron Award, given annually to the best hitter in both the AL and NL. Off the field, Aaron was an activist for civil rights, having been a victim of racial inequalities. Aaron was born in Mobile, Alabama, and didn't play organized high school baseball because only white students had teams. During the buildup to his passing of Ruth's home run mark, threats were made on his life by people who did not want to see a Black man break the record. Aaron was shadowed constantly by bodyguards and forced to distance himself from teammates. He kept all those hateful letters, a bitter reminder of the abuse he endured and never forgot. "This is a considerable loss for the entire city of Atlanta," Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said in a statement. "While the world knew him as 'Hammering Hank Aaron' because of his incredible, record-setting baseball career, he was a cornerstone of our village, graciously and freely joining Mrs. Aaron in giving their presence and resources toward making our city a better place. As an adopted son of Atlanta, Mr. Aaron was part of the fabric that helped place Atlanta on the world stage. Our gratitude, thoughts and prayers are with the Aaron family." After he retired, Aaron joined the Braves as an executive and hoped more Black players could find that type of work after their playing days were finished. "On the field, Blacks have been able to be super giants," he once said. "But once our playing days are over, this is the end of it and we go back to the back of the bus again." Aaron was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2002. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

I’ll answer this question one time, and that is I’m going to give myself an opportunity to think about the season, think about a lot of things, just like I did last year, and make the decision,” Brees said after Sunday’s game according to the New York Times. Drew Brees, who overcame a career-threatening shoulder injury to become the most statistically prolific quarterback in N.F.L. history, likely played the final game of his 20-year career Sunday, when his Saints lost, 30-20, to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers i n a divisional round playoff game in New Orleans. For his part, Brees declined to discuss his future, and said the outcome of Sunday’s game will have no bearing on whether or not he’ll choose to keep playing. “I’ll answer this question one time, and that is I’m going to give myself an opportunity to think about the season, think about a lot of things, just like I did last year, and make the decision,” Brees said. Brees, 42, has a year remaining on the two-year, $50 million contract extension he signed last March and has been approaching his status on a season-by-season basis. But in April he agreed to join NBC Sports as a football analyst, raising speculation that the 2020 season would be his last. “You find out so much about yourself, and you fight through so much when you play this game,” Brees said. “I’d say this season, I probably had to fight through more than I’ve ever had to in any other season in my career, from injuries to all the Covid stuff to just crazy circumstances, and it was worth every moment of it, absolutely.” Brees missed a month with 11 broken ribs and a punctured lung but returned for the Saints’ final three games of the regular season, winning two to help them capture the No. 2 seed in the N.F.C. playoffs. Instead of rounding out his career with a second championship to further elevate his legacy, Brees delivered a jarring conclusion, throwing three interceptions Sunday — including on both of the Saints’ fourth-quarter possessions. Over his 20 N.F.L. seasons, Brees set numerous passing records, including most career passing yards and completions, and won his only Super Bowl appearance, with New Orleans after the 2009 season. He ranks second in completion percentage, passing yards per game and touchdown passes, in that category trailing only Tom Brady, who threw two on Sunday to help eliminate the Saints . A second-round pick in 2001 by the Chargers out of Purdue, Brees made a Pro Bowl in San Diego but was discarded in favor of Philip Rivers. In the final game of the 2005 season, Brees, an impending free agent, dislocated his right shoulder and tore his rotator cuff and labrum, an injury so severe that he wondered whether he would ever play again. Only two teams pursued him that off-season — Miami and New Orleans, which had a 3-13 record in 2005 after being displaced by Hurricane Katrina. Undeterred by both the state of the city and the uncertain state of the organization, Brees chose to revive his career in New Orleans, where he joined forces with new coach Sean Payton. Editors’ Picks Together, they brought respectability to the franchise and hope to a devastated region. In his first season, Brees led the Saints, who had made the playoffs five times in 39 seasons before he came, to the N.F.C. championship game. In his fourth season, he led the Saints to a Super Bowl, beating three Hall of Fame quarterbacks — Kurt Warner, Brett Favre and Peyton Manning — in the playoffs to do so. Ben Shpigel is a sports reporter for The New York Times, covering the N.F.L. since 2016. Previously, Mr. Shpigel had covered the New York Jets since 2011; the New York Yankees since 2010 and, before that, the Mets since 2005. @benshpigel

Hattiesburg, MS- "The only thing I'm running is re-election, not running a cold, not running a fever or nothing else related to COVID!" says Hattiesburg City Councilman Nick Brown while having fun with his family at the Pine Belt Fair on Sunday Night. Councilman Nick Brown denies having COVID and strongly push back on false news reports that seem to suggest otherwise. "I wake up to the news and see people talking about me on tv and on social media sites. Let me be clear: Nobody has talked to me! So how the hell they mentioning my name and posting my picture like they talked to me!", exclaimed Brown. Brown is referring to reports by local media and blogs who reported that they are waiting on his COVID -19 test results as to suggest he has been speaking or coordinating with media or city officials regarding a recent report suggesting he may have COVID, which he strongly denies. Brown says he found out about him possibly having COVID and supposedly getting tested just as everyone else did, by reading the news in which even he was surprised to be seeing. The Councilman says his only focus is continuing to improve the quality of life of residents in Ward 5, the largest ward in the city which is 80-90% African American. In doing so, Councilman Nick Brown is officially announcing that he is running for re-election to continue to sit on Hattiesburg City Council representing Ward 5. He's proud of what he's done so far. He's spent $1.3 Million Dollars paving at least 30 different streets in Ward 5. He's proud of building a much needed pavilion at Sullivan's Park along with installing grandstands at the People's Park Football Field in Palmer's Crossing Community. He's increased safety and visibility by putting up 70 street lights, 20 of which were brand new LED lights. He's also manifested new ideas such as SPOT, a Safe Place for Online Transactions, where citizens can safely meet up for legal online business transactions that are video monitored. He's in the process of extending Martin Luther King Ave to William Carey Parkway, a very innovative way to connect different parts of his ward. Infrastructure is also at the top of his list. Brown says he's putting new water lines, sidewalks, and paving new roads for Country Club Rd and Martin Luther King Ave. But most of all, he wants to rebuild Timberton Park, something that has remain one of his top priorities and keeps him up at night. He also plans to build new tennis courts and add splash pads at all the parks in his communities. As for as COVID, Brown says there's no truth to any of it. Brown says he's fine and his family is doing great. He says if anything were to change, he would personally let the public know.

Hattiesburg, MS- The gates opened again Friday at the Multi-Purpose Center in Hattiesburg Mississippi and people came from near and far to visit The Pine Belt Fair, the 1st major attraction in over a half a year. Saturday and Sunday are the last two days. This isn't your ordinary fair neither are these ordinary times. The long for fun, excitement, and thrills seem to outweigh the later, although safety is key. Everyone must have their temperature checked before entering the fair grounds and everyone must wear a mask. Along with Forrest County Sheriff's Department as security, those are just a few precautions the staff has taken to make sure everyone is safe so everyone can enjoy themselves. Hattiesburg Fire Department is also on hand for any medical or hazardous reasons. This was an event in which many attended just to get out of the house or in some cases, out of their dorms, such as chemistry major Kenkedric Mallet, 18, University of Southern Mississippi, architect major Jordan Lighter, 18, University of Southern Mississippi, and english major Marcus Shoulders, 18, University of Southern Mississippi. As many college students are already experiencing stressful times making adjustments for campus life, Mallet said it's "just fun to get out and hang around some friends." Shoulders was excited to "finally enjoy something fun to do" while Lighter was more excited about "seeing so many pretty girls!" hoping to get a chance to meet some new friends, the typical college student. Then it's off to the fun. And fun it is. Yes there is a small fee for parking but the highest priced admission is $10. Youth, seniors, and military are just $5. Then of course there's the tickets for rides but you save a bundle by buying the wrist band to ride every ride in the park as many times as your stomach can take the thrills. What is different however is what you don't pay for. Included in your admission are free shows. There's a jaw dropping magic show, the Fearless Flores family ride their motorcycles' together in a very small steel 'Globe of Death' at extremely fast speeds, and then there's Lady Houdini The Escape Artist who literally will have your heart pumping as 100's watched her try to escape death, in which everyone thought she was going to die, including some staff. It was a thrilling and quiet moment for sure. The very diverse crowd erupted in cheers and gasps as many were relieved she's still alive. Four year old Avyn Mclin looks with excitement, fear and amazement as she just experienced one of the big white tigers roaring and walking right in front of her. Naturally, she takes a few steps back to stand closer and safely next her loving dad, Demetrius McClin, 25, who drove his daughter down from Columbia, Mississippi. He said they both really "enjoyed" the experience. Outside of the shows which are all free, is a petting zoo where kids can feed farm animals including bulls and camels. However, if that's not exotic enough, you can also feed some roaring white tigers who look extremely hungry not to mention powerful and dangerous. For many fairgoers like Blake Hoyt, 21, Bogalusa, Louisiana, Makayla Hunt, 18, Foxworth, Mississippi, Javana Hunt, 18, Foxworth, Mississippi, and Greyson Embrey,18, Covington, Louisiana, the main attraction isn't the rides, it's the food. These four friends all drove hours from different cities to have a double date, experiencing their very first Mississippi fair. The famous funnel cakes and handmade lemonades always draw major crowds from near and far. From chicken-on-the-sticks to huge mouthwatering turkey legs to very big juicy tender pork-chops-on-a-stick, and all in between, there's nothing short of delicious excitement on a food fun run to the fair. There were plenty of games for toddlers, babies, and kids to enjoy including a chance to win some cool prizes including live hamsters, live beautiful fish that come with a free fish tank, and stuff toys and inflatables. Hattiesburg resident, James Fenton, Pastor of Wayside Prophetic Pentecostal Church, is trying to win a big stuffed animal for his son who stands-by hoping with anticipation his dad can have the kind of faith he preaches about on Sundays to get the ball in the hoop to win him his next favorite toy. Unfortunately, not even a miracle could have made the ball go in. Pastor says he will "stick to preaching" and not basketball. Then there are the rides for dare devils and adults. So much fun that people were seen throwing up repeatedly. Others were known to have pissed on themselves. There's of couse the screamers, the crybabies of all ages including adults, and occasionally those who realized they weren't as bold and fearless as they'd thought they were. The most famous of them all is the headliner in every fair, the Farris Wheel. It can be both relaxing, romantic, but also a bit scary and dangerous, especially if you're at the top looking over the city. It always has a long line. Some dare devils waited in long lines to get a chance to push their limits. But for D'Vohn Green, 19, University of Southern Mississippi, Aiden Weber, 18, University of Southern Mississippi, and Spencer Jordan, 18, McNeese University, that chance didn't come for at least one ride. It was temporary closed for cleaning. Why? "Someone threw-up all over the ride!" Green explained. But they vowed to find more excitement, such as a ride similar to the famous "Death Drop" that's featured in Six Flags Over Georgia. This is the ride that seats like a rollercoaster, takes you up slowly high above the sky, holds you there dangling your feet above the city, and without warning, drops you extremely fast right before slowly lowering you to safety. If that's not thrilling enough, there are other rides that swings you side to side and at times it appears almost so high up sideways you are bound to fall over from 100's of feet in the air and although it's not likely to happen, try explaining that to your heart racing 100 miles per hour. That's only the beginning. The fair is filled with rides so thrilling, so fun, so fast, so daunting that you once you rode every ride at least once, you would be begging your mother to meet you at the front gate with the car, according to one fan who considered themselves a dare devil up until tonight. "This is the best!" according to Renea Windham, 31, owner of Creative Drip, who is pictured left getting some famous Lemonade along with her friend, Keyshia Edwards, 25, both from Lumberton, Mississippi. Perhaps it's the only attraction this year as festivals and other major outdoor attractions have been cancelled or postponed until next year. It's safe and friendly for all ages and groups. You can find more information by visiting their website. www.pinebeltfair.com.

Week 9 in the NFL saw more shakeups in the league pecking order. A couple of NFC contenders, New Orleans and Green Bay posted statement victories, while two others, Tampa Bay and Seattle showed all kinds of weakness. Meanwhile, in the AFC, Kansas City, Baltimore and Buffalo flexed in tough games, with Miami and Las Vegas did more to pump up their wild-card playoff campaigns.  Going into Week 10, here's how we stack every team from No. 1 through No. 32 in Sporting News' latest power rankings (Getty Images) NFL power rankings 1. Kansas City Chiefs 8-1 (last week: 1) The Chiefs are getting a little pass-happy with Patrick Mahomes in the middle of the season but he's also playing at a crazy high MVP level. They need to get better defensively and against the run to maximize his presence on the field. 2. Pittsburgh Steelers 8-0 (2) The Steelers escaped from Dallas with a victory when their defense struggled at times and their running game wasn't reliable. Ben Roethlisbeger, knee injury aside, made the big plays when it counted to save them to their talented wide receivers. 3. New Orleans Saints 6-2 (5) The Saints marched away with a dominant victory in Tampa Bay, sweeping the season series and becoming the clear NFC South and conference favorites. They'll get a shot at the fading reigning champion 49ers next. 4. Baltimore Ravens 6-2 (6)  The Ravens needed a gritty, old-school defensive win with the passing game not coming through. Lamar Jackson and the running game get plenty of credit for out-slugging the Colts in a critical rebound game. (Getty Images) 5. Buffalo Bills 7-2 (7) The Bills needed that kind of stellar performance against the Seahawks to feel great about Josh Allen and the offense again. The even more encouraging sign was how many big plays the defense made, too. 6. Green Bay Packers 6-2 (8) The Packers and Aaron Rodgers took care of the 49ers nemesis. They also should feel good about beating the Saints, even though they lost badly to the Buccaneers. They are right back in the NFC top seed conversation. 7. Seattle Seahawks 6-2 (3) The Seahawks stumbled with terrible pass defense against the Bills and more critical mistakes from Russell Wilson. Their hot start took advantage of an easy schedule. Now they need to sweat out winning the NFC West first before thinking about anything bigger. 8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 6-3 (4) What was that? The Bucs had their biggest opportunity to show they were the new NFC favorite in their biggest game of the year and the entire team now has made it really hard to win the NFC South. Tom Brady and the defense are best off forgetting the Saints nightmare, hoping for a third matchup down the line. 9. Tennessee Titans 6-2 (11) Remember the Titans as a factor in the AFC race? They got a much-needed defensive-fueled victory over the Bears for Mike Vrabel to also create some breathing room against the Colts in the South. 10. Miami Dolphins 5-3 (14)   The Dolphins also want a say in the AFC in the end with their defense continuing to make big plays for Brian Flores and their offense finding a different kind of groove with Tua Tagovailoa. They can keep it going with a very favorable schedule over the next month. (Getty Images) 11. Arizona Cardinals 5-3 (9) The Cardinals played a classic young QB duel with the Dolphins with Kyler Murray not having the same field-goal fortunes as Tagovailoa. The defense, which had seemed to turn a corner, was most disappointing.  12. Los Angeles Rams 5-3 (12) The Rams enjoyed a bye knowing they are doing it differently in the NFC than the other playoffs, leaning mostly on their running game and defense when they're playing their best. Sean McVay should have some great adjustments in store for the second half. 13. Las Vegas Raiders 5-3 (16) The Raiders are locked in offensively with Derek Carr with the right balance from Josh Jacobs and the running game. They won't get much better defensively in 2020, but it's all about making timely stops for them to keep winning. 14. Cleveland Browns 5-3 (17) The Browns had an eventful end to the bye week with Baker Mayfield landing on the COVID-19 list. Their wild-card chase got a lot harder with the Raiders and the Dolphins winning close games. They must take advantage of three very winnable games ahead. 15. Indianapolis Colts 5-3 (10) The Colts keep trying to win battles of attrition with their running game and defense, but it's hard to hide Philip Rivers when he's not playing well. They need to upgrade at quarterback with a true franchise option in 2021. (Getty Images) 16. Chicago Bears 5-4 (13) The Bears are stuck with Nick Foles with Mitchell Trubisky hurting. They keep making a few mistakes offensively to hold them back and put too much of a burden on their stout defense. 17. San Francisco 49ers 4-5 (15) The 49ers are a shell of the NFC champions from last season and Kyle Shanahan and Robert Saleh can do only so much with their play-calling. It won't get any easier with the Saints, Rams and Bills in the next three games. 18. Philadelphia Eagles 3-4-1 (18) The Eagles had a bye to get healthier all around and should be feeling more confident about their NFC East chances with Washington and Dallas losing while they didn't play. They do get some NFC litmus tests with the Seahawks, Packers, Saints and Cardinals all on the upcoming schedule. 19. Minnesota Vikings 3-5 (23) The Vikings are creeping back into the NFC wild-card race. Consider four of their losses are to above-.500 times, including the Packers, the Seahawks, the Colts and the Titans. Dalvin Cook and a favorable schedule makes them a team to watch in the second half. (Getty Images) 20. Detroit Lions 3-5 (19) The Lions blew their chance to take second place behind the Packers with another mess of a defensive game against the Vikings. The writing is on the wall for Matt Patricia now. 21. Denver Broncos 3-5 (20) The Broncos played inspired comeback football with Drew Lock again in Atlanta, but it wasn't enough despite their passing offense coming to life. Vic Fangio's defense keeps opening too many holes. 22. New England Patriots 3-5 (25) The Patriots played Monday night with their season on the line against, of all teams, the winless Jets, barely surviving. The Bills and the Dolphins are both positioned to pull away from them. 23. Carolina Panthers 3-6 (21) The Panthers got Christian McCaffrey back and made a lot of great plays to stay in the game against the Chiefs, having the ideal ball-control game plan. But their pass defense didn't cooperate when it was needed most. 24. Cincinnati Bengals 2-5-1 (22) The Bengals had a bye to get healthier on the offensive line and also heal running back Joe Mixon. As for quarterback Joe Burrow, he will continue his push for Offensive Rookie of the Year. (Getty Images) 25. Los Angeles Chargers 2-6 (24) The Chargers lost another close game on the final play. What a surprise. Justin Herbert and Anthony Lynn both deserve better breaks than that. 26. Atlanta Falcons 3-6 (27) The Falcons have found their way defensively a little more, enough to complement Matt Ryan and the offense, which has found its groove again. Now it'a. a bye to try to keep it up under Raheem Morris in the second half. 27. Houston Texans 2-6 (29) The Texans' defense is a major liability and the main reason for their record. Deshaun Watson is doing everything he can to help them win with a short deck. 28. Washington Football Team 2-6 (26) WFT got swept by the Giants as their defense broke down more than expected after a bye and had to deal with a devastating second QB change from Kyle Allen to Alex Smith. Perhaps Dwayne Haskins deserves one last chance? 29. Dallas Cowboys 2-6 (28) The Cowboys did their best to find a spark with Garrett Gilbert and it worked for a long time as the entire offense played inspired in a tough matchup. Unfortunately, the defense improved greatly against the run, only to break down against the pass in crunch time. 30. New York Giants 2-7 (30) The Giants finally finished a close game because of defense and turnover-free offense. Joe Judge needed that one in Washington. 31. Jacksonville Jaguars 1-7 (31) The Jaguars did their best to compete at a high level with Jake Luton, who really didn't look much different operating the offense than Gardner Minshew did. Unfortunately, he can do nothing to help a shell of a defense. 32. New York Jets 0-9 (32) The Jets played on Monday night, which means they found another way to lose on a different day of the week for a change under Adam Gase.