RHCJC

Permanent skateparks? Coast skaters say it’s time

Justin Glowacki, Nischit Sharma and Sami Jordan • June 16, 2025

Pete Taggard never expected skateboarding to save his life. But when a doctor warned that Type 2 Diabetes was threatening his health, he returned to something he hadn’t done since his teenage years: skating.

Faithful Farms offers rural, faith-based school alternative

Samuel Hughes, Cadence Renfro and Rochak Basnet • June 16, 2025

A one-room schoolhouse opening this August is offering a faith-based, agriculture-centered alternative to public education — and positioning itself for Mississippi’s evolving school choice landscape.

With little aid, sober homes fill vital recovery need

Samuel Hughes, Cadence Renfro and Rochak Basnet • June 9, 2025

Mississippi continues to fall behind neighboring states when it comes to sober-living housing, a critical step in long-term addiction recovery. Sober-living housing often follows the Oxford House Model, a community-based approach to recovery that emphasizes peer support, shared responsibility and sober living

Lumberton High unveils mural honoring late teacher

Whitney Argenbright, Sameen Chand, Nischit Sharma and Rochak Basnet • May 29, 2025

Students, faculty and family members gathered Thursday at Lumberton High School to unveil a mural in memory of Susan Copeland, a longtime science teacher who died in a car crash on Jan. 31, 2024.

Better L.A.T.E. than never: Theater troupe helps Hattiesburg seniors reconnect

Morgan Gill and Gerome Webster • May 12, 2025

In a spacious common room inside the historic Hattiesburg Cultural Center, laughter echoes as a group of seniors huddle together, reading from scripts and exchanging inside jokes.

Trash trouble: Litter lines Mississippi highways

Morgan Gill, Kennedi Drake, Nischit Sharma and Javion Henry • April 21, 2025

Litter is piling up along the Magnolia State’s rural roads, and the state is struggling to keep up. According to the Mississippi Department of Transportation, the state’s litter rate along rural highways is 30% higher than the national average.

Biloxi’s Saenger Theatre prepares for an encore

Samuel Hughes, Mallory Strickland, Rowan Luke, Nischit Sharma and Hailey Perkins • April 14, 2025

Biloxi is meticulously restoring the theater to its former grandeur, with plans to make it a modern performance venue while preserving its historic character.

Volunteers power emergency response in Stone County

Justin Glowacki, Sonya Woods, McKenna Klamm and Pragesh Adhikari • March 31, 2025

In Stone County, it’s not just career firefighters who race toward danger — volunteers do, too, leaving behind jobs, dinner tables and daily routines when the alarm sounds. Anna Mills, a registered nurse and volunteer firefighter, joined the service after a personal emergency.

Mississippi’s forgotten nuclear test site still under federal watch

Morgan Gill, Hailey Perkins, Kennedi Drake and Rowan Luke • March 24, 2025

There’s no signpost marking Mississippi’s only nuclear test site. There’s no visitor center, either — just timberland, wildlife … and a radioactive legacy buried beneath the surface.

With nowhere to go, more face homelessness on Mississippi’s coast

Samuel Hughes, Nischit Sharma, Mallory Strickland, Gerome Webster and Hailey Perkins • March 24, 2025

Betty has been on the Gulf Coast for three years. Her journey away from her hometown of Fourt Collins, Colorado, began when she and her mother lost their home.

‘Delightful’ Hattiesburg grocery store fills gaps, provides local goods

Morgan Gill, Miracle Jennnings, Mallory Strickland, Srividya Karuturi, Nischit Sharma, Javion Henry and Evan Baronich • March 3, 2025

A new grocery store is filling a long-standing gap in downtown Hattiesburg. Sincerely Grocery, a boutique grocery store specializing in locally sourced and specialty goods, held its grand opening on Feb. 1 at The Prospect on Main.

“Coming together but stronger”: Thousands gather for 2025 Knobtown Black History Parade

Justin Glowacki, Pragesh Adhikari, Sonya Woods, Stephani Perez Munoz, Matthew Martin and McKenna Klamm • February 27, 2025

Each year, the small unincorporated community of Knobtown, Mississippi—home to fewer than 400 residents—welcomes thousands of visitors for its annual Black History Parade. Now in its 29th year, the parade has grown into a cherished tradition, bringing families together from across the country to celebrate Black history, unity, and resilience.