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2018 has been a historical year caused by the actions of the mind. But who are those people and how have they shaped and or redefine 2018? As we try to define influence, think of someone who you can nominate as the most influential person of 2018. What is influence? Dictionary.com defines influence as the capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behavior of someone or something or the effect itself. Merriam- Webster defines influence as the power or capacity of causing effect in indirect or intangible ways. The Oxford dictionary describes influence as the power to shape policy or ensure favorable treatment from someone, especially through status, contacts, or wealth. Influence is the very essence of power. Influence is the foundation and root of power. That power can be used to cause change. That change can have a direct or indirect effect on someone or something. Help us find them. If there is someone who you think we should consider who has made a huge impact in your city, community, or area email us. Send all nominees to: info@thepinebeltnews.com. Please be sure to include what they have done to be included on our list, what's there current occupation, and as much info about the person as possible.

The world is full of movers and shakers. But who are they here in the Pine Belt? Who are the individuals that are taking the Pine Belt to the next level? Help us find them. If there is someone who you think we should consider who is 40 years or less who has made a significant impact in the Pine Belt, email us. Send all nominees to: info@thepinebeltnews.com. Please be sure to include what they have done to be included on our list, what's there current occupation, and as much info about the person as possible.

After organizers of 'The Christmas in the Park' event announced Thursday, November 29, 2018 they needed to raise $10,000 over the next few days, local businesses jumped into action to help. Friday, November 30, Raising Canes announced it would give 10% of the goal by giving $1,000. In a joint statement, Raising Cane's said, "Raising Cane's loves to support the local community !" Monday December 3, Regions Bank opened a special fund at all of its locations so that anyone can go in any Regions Bank and give any amount to the "Christmas in the Park Fund" to help reach the $10,000. The City of Hattiesburg says it's "definitely blessed" to have this kind of involvement in the city. Councilman Nick Brown said, "I believe students coming together to give back to the community of Hattiesburg is a very kind act and blessing to our community.” Some of the Executive Committee Members such as Brandon Dillion Ed.S, Reggie Taylor, and Jane Brockway, are very excited about both the support and event itself. Jane Brockway, a professor at William Carey University, says “It’s awesome to be in an area with businesses like Regions who are willing to support our children by opening a fund anyone can donate to!” “Lending a helping hand to the kids in our community is a personal mandate,” says Reggie Taylor, Dean of Students at Antonelli College. Brandon Dillion, Director of International Admissions at William Carey University says its an “honor” to add some “Christmas Magic” for local kids. “The community has blessed William Carey University and it is a blessing to have the opportunity to give back in some small way,” Prominent community leader Derrian Moye, known in the community as Mr. Hattiesburg, who was honored by the University of Southern Mississippi as the 'Hometown Hero', says by Friday, December 7, 2018, he believes more than $10,000 will be raised. "Everybody wants to help with this historic event in making sure every child in our area has a gift for Christmas. There are so many businesses, organizations, and individuals reaching out to help my fellow classmates and I." Once $10,000 is raised, college students from William Carey University, The University of Southern Mississippi, and Antonelli College will come together to buy clothing, shoes, and toys for 100's of kids in the Pine Belt. The Christmas in the Park event is set for Thursday, December 20, 2018 at Town Square Park, 100 Main St, in Downtown Hattiesburg, MS. For more information, you may email: ChristmasInThePark2018@yahoo.com or call 601.861.5800.

HOUSTON (AP) — He was the man who sought a “kinder, and gentler nation,” and the one who sternly invited Americans to read his lips — he would not raise taxes. He was the popular leader of a mighty coalition that dislodged Iraq from Kuwait, and was turned out of the presidency after a single term. Blue-blooded and genteel, he was elected in one of the nastiest campaigns in recent history. George Herbert Walker Bush was many things, including only the second American to see his son follow him into the nation’s highest office. But more than anything else, he was a believer in government service. Few men or women have served America in more capacities than the man known as “Poppy.” “There is no higher honor than to serve free men and women, no greater privilege than to labor in government beneath the Great Seal of the United States and the American flag,” he told senior staffers in 1989, days after he took office. Bush, who died late Friday at age 94 — nearly eight months after his wife of 73 years died at their Houston home — was a congressman, an ambassador to the United Nations and envoy to China, chairman of the Republican National Committee, director of the CIA, two-term vice president and, finally, president. George H.W. Bush, whose presidency soared with the coalition victory over Iraq in Kuwait, but then plummeted in the throes of a weak economy that led voters to turn him out of office after one term, has died. He was 94 (Dec 1) Air Force One was being sent to Texas to transport Bush’s casket to Washington, where his body will lay in state at the Capitol Rotunda. The public can pay their respects from Monday evening through Wednesday morning. Bush will be buried Thursday on the grounds of his presidential library at Texas A&M University at the family plot next to his wife Barbara, who died in April, and their 3-year-old daughter Robin, who died in 1953. The Bush family is still arranging funeral services, but the White House said President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump plan to attend. Bush was no ideologue — he spoke disparagingly of “the vision thing,” and derided the supply-side creed of his future boss, Ronald Reagan, as “voodoo economics.” He is generally given better marks by historians for his foreign policy achievements than for his domestic record, but assessments of his presidency tend to be tepid. “Was George Bush only a nice man with good connections, who seldom had to wrest from life the honors it frequently bestowed on him?” journalist Tom Wicker asked in his Bush biography. Wicker’s answer: Perhaps. But he said Bush’s actions in Kuwait “reflect moments of courage and vision worthy of his office.” The Persian Gulf War — dubbed “Operation Desert Storm” — was his greatest mark on history. In a January 2011 interview marking the war’s 20th anniversary, he said the mission sent a message that “the United States was willing to use force way across the world, even in that part of the world where those countries over there thought we never would intervene.” “I think it was a signature historical event,” he added. “And I think it will always be.” President George H.W. Bush talks to reporters in the White House Rose Garden after meeting with top military advisors to discuss the Persian Gulf War. After Iraq invaded Kuwait in August 1990, Bush quickly began building an international military coalition that included other Arab states. After freeing Kuwait , he rejected suggestions that the U.S. carry the offensive to Baghdad, choosing to end the hostilities a mere 100 hours after the start of the ground offensive. “That wasn’t our objective,” he said. “The good thing about it is there was so much less loss of human life than had been predicted, and indeed than we might have feared.” But the decisive military defeat did not lead to the regime’s downfall, as many in the administration had hoped. “I miscalculated,” Bush acknowledged. The Iraqi leader was eventually ousted in 2003, in the war led by Bush’s son that was followed by a long, bloody insurgency. Unlike his son, who joined the Texas Air National Guard during the Vietnam era but served only in the U.S., the elder Bush was a bona fide war hero. He joined the Navy on his 18th birthday in 1942 over the objections of his father, Prescott, who wanted him to stay in school. At one point the youngest pilot in the Navy, he flew 58 missions off the carrier USS San Jacinto. His wartime exploits won him the Distinguished Flying Cross for bravery. He was shot down on Sept. 2, 1944, while completing a bombing run against a Japanese radio tower. Eight others who were shot down in that mission were captured and executed, and several were eaten by their captors. But an American submarine rescued Bush. Even then, he was an inveterate collector of friends: Aboard the sub Finback, “I made friendships that have lasted a lifetime,” he would write. This was a man who hand wrote thousands of thank you notes — each one personalized, each one quickly dispatched. Even his political adversaries would acknowledge his exquisite manners. Admonished by his mother to put others first, he rarely used the personal pronoun “I,” a quirk exploited by comedian Dana Carvey in his “Saturday Night Live” impressions of the president. Written by Michael Graczyk

ATLANTA (AP) — In a dramatic twist on last season’s national championship game, Jalen Hurts came off the bench to pass for one touchdown and run for another in the fourth quarter, rallying No. 1 Alabama to a 35-28 win over No. 4 Georgia for the Southeastern Conference title Saturday. Heisman Trophy favorite Tua Tagovailoa had to be helped off the field with just over 11 minutes remaining after one of his own linemen stepped on the quarterback’s right ankle as he attempted to throw. Enter Hurts, who led Alabama to the national title game as a freshman but lost the starting job to Tagovailoa. Hurts calmly guided the Crimson Tide (13-0, No. 1 CFP) to game-tying touchdown with a 10-yard pass to Jerry Jeudy. After Georgia (11-2, No. 4 CFP) was stuffed on a fake punt near midfield, Hurts took matters into his own hands for the winning score. Spotting an opening up the middle, he took off on a 15-yard TD run with 1:04 remaining. Written by Paul Newberry

Within the first 24 hours of kicking off raising $10,000, Raising Cane's Restaurant gives 10% of the amount needed by giving $1,000 to the Christmas in the Park Fund. This comes within hours after hometown hero and prominent community leader, Derrian Moye, a student at William Carey University, who is mostly known in the community as Mr. Hattiesburg, said he's confident that the business community will support in reaching the $10,000 goal. "Raising Cane's is no doubt one of my favorite places to eat in Hattiesburg. Not only do they have great food and awesome customer service, the owners are embedded in the foundation of our community! They support 100's of local organizations including our school districts and universities. You can't mention Hattiesburg without mentioning Raising Canes!" Moye said. In a joint statement issued by The Christmas in the Park officials, Raising Cane’s said, “Raising Canes loves to support the local community !” Once all funds are raised students from William Carey University, The University of Southern Mississippi, and Antonelli College comes together to buy kids clothes, shoes, and toys for Christmas to give out on Thursday, December 20, at Town Square Park. In helping Christmas in the Park reach its overall goal in making sure every child has a gift for Christmas, Will Kreppner, Managing Partner of Raising Cane's of Hattiesburg said, "We hope all of you have a Happy Holiday!"

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi’s capital city is receiving a $1 million grant for public art focusing on access to fresh food. The money comes from Bloomberg Philanthropies, run by billionaire businessman Michael Bloomberg. Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba jokingly welcomed the former New York mayor “to the deep-fried South” as they appeared together Thursday for the grant announcement. Bloomberg says 200 cities competed for a public art grant, and Jackson is one of 14 winners. He says the art could generate discussion about nutrition. Lumumba says a goal to draw attention to communities where people don’t have access to fresh food or “don’t make the proper choices in the things that they eat.” Artists, chefs, farmers, landscape architects and others will work on art installations and programs for the “Fertile Ground” project.

HATTIESBURG, Miss. (AP) — Cortez Edwards scored 19 points and Tyree Griffin and Leonard Harper-Baker each scored 18 and Southern Mississippi beat South Alabama 71-67 on Wednesday night. Harper-Baker made a jump shot, LaDavius Draine sank a pair of free throws with 4:24 to play, and Southern Miss (5-2) led 60-59 and never trailed again. Harper-Barker made a 3-point play with 55 seconds left for a 66-62 advantage. He added two more points 22 seconds later before Jordan Andrews countered with a 3-pointer to reduce South Alabama’s deficit to 68-65. Griffin made 1 of 2 free throws and the Golden Eagles led 69-65. Kory Holden responded with a jump hot and immediately fouled Griffin, who sank a pair of free throws for the game’s final margin. The Golden Eagles overcame 14-of-23 (61 percent) from the free-throw line and made 26 of 54 from the floor. Holden led South Alabama (3-4) with 28 points with eight 3-pointers, Rodrick Sikes scored 14 and Josh Ajayi scored 11.

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — There are two remaining questions left for a Mississippi woman who sued over being jailed 96 days without seeing a judge: Will the U.S. Supreme Court get involved, and if not, how much will she get paid? U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock on Tuesday ruled that Choctaw County and Sheriff Cloyd Halford are liable for violating Jessica Jauch’s constitutional rights. She set a March jury trial to determine damages. However, the county and Halford are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to take up the case. If the high court refuses to hear the appeal, as happens in most cases, the county will be out of legal options. Jauch, now 36, was arrested on traffic charges in 2012 and held after being served with a drug indictment. While in jail, she says she was forced to temporarily sign over her daughter’s custody rights to her mother. After finally seeing a judge, she was appointed a public defender and quickly made bail. She was eventually cleared of the drug charge after undercover video didn’t show her committing a crime. In Choctaw County, like many rural Mississippi counties, circuit court only meets twice a year, and the next meeting was months away. The sheriff said he didn’t have to take Jauch before a judge until court met because she’d already been indicted on a felony drug charge, thus establishing probable cause for her detention. Aycock originally agreed with that argument, dismissing Jauch’s case in 2016. But the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeal was sharply critical of Aycock’s ruling, reinstating Jauch’s case in 2017 and calling her detention “unjust and unfair” and “alien to our law.” “Heaping these consequences on an accused and blithely waiting months before affording the defendant access to the justice system is patently unfair in a society where guilt is not presumed,” Circuit Judge Thomas Reavley wrote in 2017. The county asked the full 5th Circuit to rehear the case, but the court refused on a 9-6 vote. The six judges who wanted to hear the case dissented , saying the illegal detention was the fault of state court judges, as the county and Halford continue to argue. “A county sheriff is not responsible for judicial oversight of a state circuit court judge as such responsibility would violate state separation of powers,” wrote lawyers Daniel Griffith and Christopher Bailey in their petition to the Supreme Court. It’s unlikely Jauch could ever collect money from judges because they’re generally immune from lawsuits. The county also argues that state law doesn’t always require someone who is indicted to be arraigned before a judge and says the legal principles at hand weren’t clearly established enough for everyone to understand them. Jauch’s lawyers say the law was long-settled and that Halford is the one to blame for breaking it. “The sheriff, who is the chief executive of the county with respect to detention operations, chose to adopt a policy of doing nothing, and that choice caused a deprivation of constitutional rights,” wrote Victor Fleitas and Michael Kirkpatrick. Mississippi has long struggled with people being arrested before trial and held for months or years with little access to a lawyer or bail. Since Jauch was arrested, the state Supreme Court has enacted new rules of criminal procedure last year that are showing some progress in keeping poor people from being stuck in jail without a lawyer or bail. Those rules say that, among other things, those arrested before being indicted are supposed to appear before a judge within two business days, and anyone arrested after indictment must be arraigned within 30 days. Story Written by: Jeff Amy

BILOXI, Miss. (AP) — Marine officials in Mississippi have opened a brief oyster season for part of the Gulf Coast. The Department of Marine Resources said the western portion of the Mississippi Sound would be open from sunrise Thursday for one week. The state Commission on Marine Resources met Wednesday and discussed reo-opening oyster season, which was originally set to open Nov. 10. The season was delayed because of excessive rainfall, which caused unsafe water samples. The commercial oyster tonging vessels have a daily limit is 15 sacks. The commercial oyster dredging vessels have a daily limit is 20 sacks.

W hat if someone told you that Lil Jon was in the news. I’m sure you would think he just released a new album or a hit song. But that’s not the case. Atlanta rapper “Jonathan Smith“ formerly known as Lil Jon just opened his second school in Ghana! His goal is to give back and push his efforts for education to those in need. In 2017, he opened his first school in Ghana in honor of his mother. Partnering with the non-profit Pencils and Promise he achieve his goal of opening a second school. I honestly feel that education and the ability to create something special is key. Providing kids with opportunities to have an education is what should drive society because these kids are the future. It was a donation of 70,000 to give these kids the ability to learn and expand their knowledge. One school is in the village of Mafi Atitekpo and the other is in Abomayaw. With an enrollment of 313 and they are looking to have more in the near future. Students are being "taught in unfavorable learning conditions. Kindergarten students are learning in open pavilions with unfinished walls and dirt floors, and without formal doors or windows,” according to Pencils of Promise. Lil Jon is known for his music and loud uproars but this is what I will forever remember him for. Education is a powerful tool to have and these kids now have that tool which gives them a choice on what they want to do with it. I always say 'Knowledge is Power' so furthering your education only means gaining more knowledge! I tip my hat off to people with a higher power that open schools and do it for the right reasons. He join a rare distinct class of other iconic figures who also opened schools reshaping young minds for generations to come. To name a few who name speak volumes in itself; let's just say LeBron James and P. Diddy.

BILOXI, Miss. (AP) — President Donald Trump rallied voters Monday for Republican Senate appointee Cindy Hyde-Smith who has found herself in a closer-than-expected runoff contest after comments she made about attending a public hanging drew condemnation. As Trump praised Hyde-Smith at two high-profile rallies in different parts of the state, her opponent, Democrat Mike Espy spoke at a predominantly African-American church and described his campaign as an effort to reach across the “chasm of racial division.” The historic contest features Hyde-Smith, who would be the first woman elected to Congress from Mississippi, against Espy, who’s vying to become the state’s first black senator since Reconstruction. It’s a contest that has been buffeted by racial tensions after Hyde-Smith’s public hanging comments. And the tensions continued right up until Election Day with the discovery of seven nooses and six handwritten signs on Capitol grounds Monday morning. It was not immediately known who put them there. The signs referred to the state’s history of lynchings and the Senate race. One sign said Mississippi needs a senator “who respects the lives of lynch victims.” At rallies in Tupelo and then in Biloxi, Trump praised Hyde-Smith and called on voters to send her back to Washington. She was appointed by Gov. Phil Bryant to fill the senate seat after Cochran retired. “She votes for us and she votes for ‘Make America Great Again,’” Trump said in Tupelo, where he was accompanied by Hyde-Smith. Trump called her “a truly incredible leader and tireless champion” for Mississippi. “She stood up to the Democrat smear machine,” Trump said, praising her for voting to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. Hyde-Smith, who has made the Trump rallies a highlight of her runoff campaign, told the crowd in Tupelo: “I worked very, very hard for you. I have stood up for you and you know I will continue to stand up for the conservative values of Mississippi.” But race has become a dominant issue as Hyde-Smith faces Espy, a former congressman and U.S. agriculture secretary. Hyde-Smith has drawn fire for a photo showing her wearing a replica hat of a Confederate soldier, and a video showing her praising a supporter by saying, “If he invited me to a public hanging, I’d be on the front row.” Mississippi has a history of racially motivated lynchings and violence against people who sought voting rights for black citizens. About 38 percent of the state’s residents are black. Espy is trying to boost their turnout and pick up support from white voters who are uneasy with Trump or the racially tinged stories about Hyde-Smith. Espy spoke for nearly 30 minutes Monday to a crowd of about 200 people gathered at church in Jackson. He called on his supporters to go out to vote on Tuesday “like it’s a holiday.” “We’ve got a job to do. We need to come out tomorrow in such numbers, such strength, marching to the polls like it’s a holiday,” he said. “This is a campaign that goes to the color line and it reached across the color line, across the chasm of racial division, across the chasm of racial acrimony,” Espy said, saying blacks and whites share common concerns in the issues he’s centered his campaign on, such as health insurance, student debt and jobs. It’s the last U.S. Senate race to be decided in 2018 and will determine whether Republicans pad their slim majority. “If we win tomorrow, we’ll be at 53-47 which is substantially more than we had,” Trump said. He said of Espy, “Oh, he’s far left, he’s out there. How does he fit in in Mississippi?” And he told the crowd, “don’t take any chances” by not voting. Hyde-Smith’s support of Trump is unmistakable. She used both her opening and closing statements of the only debate of the runoff campaign to promote Monday’s presidential rallies, citing the online address to get tickets. Even on trade and tariffs, where Trump’s decisions could hurt Mississippi farmers, Hyde-Smith praised the president. After the event in Tupelo, best known as the birthplace of Elvis Presley, Hyde-Smith and Trump flew to the Gulf Coast for a larger rally in Biloxi where thousands of Trump supporters were waiting. “Cindy Hyde-Smith will support President Trump’s agenda, and President Trump’s agenda includes a better America for all of us, every state, including Mississippi,” said Virginia Olander from Bay St. Louis. About 100 anti-Trump protesters were also there, chanting “Impeach 45” as they held signs with red strikes through Hyde-Smith’s name. Espy has emphasized that he’s a moderate seeking the votes of everyone and willing to work across party lines. He noted during a campaign stop earlier Monday that he had crossed the “party chasm” to endorse the re-election of Republican Gov. Haley Barbour in Mississippi in 2007. Democrats also have used some star power. Former Vice President Joe Biden endorsed Espy, and three Democrats who could run for president in 2020 — Sens. Kamala Harris of California and Cory Booker of New Jersey and former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick — have been to Mississippi to campaign for the former congressman who served as agriculture secretary in 1993 and 1994 under Democratic President Bill Clinton. For Espy, turnout is key. He must close the gap in a state where Trump received 58 percent in 2016. Mississippi hasn’t elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since 1982. Hyde-Smith has apologized to “anyone that was offended” by the hanging comment, saying she meant no ill will. She and her campaign have refused to discuss the Confederate hat. Trump defended Hyde-Smith Monday. He said the comment was “a little flip” but said she apologized and that he’d “heard that loud and clear.” He said he knows “where her heart is and her heart is good.” Walmart asked Hyde-Smith to return a $2,000 campaign contribution because of the hanging remark. ___ Amy reported from Jackson, Mississippi; AP video journalist Stacey Plaisance reported from Biloxi, Mississippi.