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An Uncommon Vessel Turns 93: The Irrepressible Life, Sacrificial Love and Unwavering Friendship of Dr. John Perkins

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2 years ago

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A self-described third grade dropout from a sharecropper family of bootleggers and gamblers, Dr. Perkins has lived and modeled a life of redemption, reconciliation, love and forgiveness.

In the Spring of 2015, after having just quit my job as a federal prosecutor, becoming unemployed for the first time in my adult life, and launching a somewhat quixotic political campaign for Mississippi Attorney General, I was invited by my local missions pastor in Madison to a Bible study held in West Jackson every Tuesday morning at 5:30 am at the home of a man named Dr. John M. Perkins.

Frankly, I am embarrassed to admit now that I had never heard of Dr. Perkins, and I did not know who he was, what he done in his life, or frankly what I was walking into. Most importantly, I had no idea how he would change my life.

Born on this day in 1930, in New Hebron, Mississippi, Perkins never really knew his mother and father, as his mother died from malnourishment when he was only 7 months old, and his dad left shortly thereafter.

Self-described as coming from a family of “bootleggers and gamblers,” he grew up in poverty and in a dangerous, segregated society. Sadly, when Dr. Perkins was just 16 years old, his older brother, Clyde, a recently returned World War II veteran, was shot and killed by a deputy sheriff in their hometown of New Hebron. Worried that he might face the same fate, his family sent him to live with relatives in California in 1947. He talks fondly of his time in California, but especially of how God worked through his young son Spencer, who was attending Bible class at a little church down the street there in Pasadena, to lead Dr. Perkins to Christ at the age of 27.

After growing spiritually, Dr. Perkins felt that God was calling him back home to Mississippi, the place that he had once left “for good.” In June 1960, Dr. Perkins, his wife Vera Mae, and they their five children moved to Simpson County, where he and his family began Voice of Calvary Ministries in New Hebron, Mendenhall and surrounding areas, which included a day-care center, youth programs, a church, a cooperative farm, a thrift store, a housing repair ministry, a health center, and an adult education program.

It is unimaginable what Dr. Perkins witnessed and how he was treated during the heart of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s and 1970s, but he pressed on for the Gospel. Sadly, one of the worst injustices against Dr. Perkins occurred in 1970, when Dr. Perkins went to the Brandon jail after 19 Tougaloo College students had been arrested while driving back to Jackson after having protested with the Perkins in Mendenhall. At the Brandon jail, Dr. Perkins was severely beaten by corrupt law enforcement, to the point of unconscientiousness, and later humiliated, being forced to mop up his own blood from the jailhouse floor, as his abusers feared discovery of their crimes by federal investigators.

A few years later, in his widely acclaimed book Let Justice Roll Down, Dr. Perkins described the hate he had witnessed in that horrific moment in his life:

They were like savages – like some horror out of the night. And I can’t forget their faces, so twisted with hate. It was like looking at white-faced demons. Hate did that to them. But you know, I couldn’t hate back. When I saw what hate had done to them, I couldn’t hate back. I could only pity them. I didn’t ever want hate to do to me what it had already done to those men.

In 1972, Dr. Perkins and his family moved to Jackson where they carried on Voice of Calvary Ministries in order to bring educational opportunities and support to the poor throughout the Jackson metro area.

In 1982, Dr. Perkins and his family moved back to California to continue their ministry work there, founding what is now Harambee Ministries in Northwest Pasadena and eventually establishing the John and Vera Mae Perkins Foundation for Justice, Reconciliation & Community Development. Just one year later, President Ronald Reagan appointed Dr. Perkins to the White House Task Force on Food Assistance. On March 8, 1983, Dr. Perkins sat just to the left of President Reagan as he gave his “Evil Empire” speech to the National Association of Evangelicals.

In 1989, Dr. Perkins brought together Christian leaders with the goal of modeling Christ’s love to the poorest areas throughout the United States. This call to action led to the formation of the Christian Community Development Association, which now has 6,800 individuals and over 600 churches, ministries, businesses, and entities, in more than 100 cities and towns across the country.

In 1996, Dr. Perkins and his family returned to Jackson to continue their work of reconciliation and development. In 1998, after the death of his oldest son Spencer, he founded the Spencer Perkins Center which developed and offers youth programs in West Jackson, rooted in the Gospel. Recently, three of Dr. Perkins’ daughters, Deborah, Elizabeth, Priscilla, have assumed leadership of the Foundation as co-presidents.

As if all of this were not enough, Dr. Perkins served his country during the Korean War, has been awarded honorary doctorates from numerous colleges, is a best-selling author of several critically acclaimed books, and has served on the boards of directors for multiple national and educational organizations.

And at 93, the man still has the energy of a 23-year-old.

I remember that very first Bible class I attended at 5:30 in March 2015, walking in through the front door of a nice, modest brick home on Robinson Street in Jackson, slightly west of the Jackson State University campus. The doorway opened directly into the living room of the home, where a couch and an assortment of chairs were arranged in a circle against the walls, with a slightly hunched-over balding man with a goatee standing in the far corner.

What immediately struck me about Dr. Perkins was his smile, his incredibly warm, welcoming manner, and his ability to immediately connect with you, to make a complete stranger feel like we were life-long friends. I really did not know what to expect that morning. I thought this would just be another normal Christian Bible study, with folks taking turns, going around the room, everyone reading some Bible verses, and we all discussing what came up. While we did read the Bible, first and foremost, as the foundation of the study, what struck me (and what I was not prepared for) was the energy, fervor, passion, insight and wisdom coming from this spry then-85-year-old! He jumped around, thumped the Bible, waived his arms, and even cursed sometimes. But the words, the delivery, the excitement in his eyes, the love from his heart, the way he expressed, conveyed and manifested God’s love to all in that room – it all was the most amazing Bible study I had ever attended.

And it was an eclectic mix of attendees: white, black, old, young, students, professionals, blue collar workers, elected officials, pastors, volunteers, family members. What brought us to this place was our shared faith and a desire to learn and grow in our understanding of God’s Word. What kept us here, and kept bringing us back, was this incredible delivery instrument, this uncommon vessel, in the form of Dr. John Perkins, a self-described third grade dropout from a family of gamblers and bootleggers, who spoke so eloquently, so deeply, so full of wisdom and understanding.

Over the ensuing weeks, I continued to attend and began to develop a deep appreciation and love for this man. I remember being struck and feeling surprised when he took such a strong interest in me, who I was, what I was doing, and where I was going. He kept saying to me, “God has big plans for you,” and, “I love you brother.”

In one of his recent books, One Blood, Dr. Perkins described the Bible study this way:

The closer we get to one another the easier it will be for the fear to go away. We’ll see that we have so much more in common than we ever thought. And the door will be opened for us to love on another with true biblical love.

I have been blessed with this kind of love from my family and many brothers and sisters in Christ, both black and white. A special group of brothers gather every Tuesday for Bible study at our center. We meet at 5:30 in the morning and have been doing this for years. I was overwhelmed by how much love we have for one another. I looked at one my white brothers and said, “Man, I don’t think I could love nobody any mor than I love you!” Another one of the brothers said, “It looks like I’ve opened up a well in my heart!” That’s what happens when we love like Jesus did. It’s like a well that rises up in your heart and overflows. It’s pure joy!

I remember vividly at one point during my political campaign that I was criticizing my opponent for being close to then-President Barack Obama. The next time I showed up at Bible study, I was publicly disparaged quite strongly by a black minister in our group. I did not take offense, but rather let the gentleman finish his critique of me. But what surprised me more than anything was Dr. Perkins’ quick defense of me. I had only been in that Bible study for a few weeks, maybe a month or two, and Dr. Perkins could have just as easily asked me to leave, to bring peace to the group. On the contrary, he showed love, both to me and the other gentlemen, leading to our eventual reconciliation. Ironically, as only God can, this particular minister and I eventually became friends and even confessed and confided in one another.

A couple of years later, while still attending the Bible study, I was nominated by then-President Donald J. Trump to be United States Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi. After just a few months as U.S. Attorney, an investiture was held to mark my being sworn in. On such occasions, it is customary for a notable speaker to say a few words about the person assuming office. My predecessor had former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder as his keynote speaker. In my mind, I could think of no one better suited or more qualified (and frankly, no one I would be as honored to have) as Dr. Perkins.

When I asked him if he would consider being the keynote speaker for my investiture, he was overcome with joy, flattered that I would ask him. In my mind, the opposite was true – I couldn’t believe this man who had done so much for so many throughout his life, who had faced unimaginable adversities, and who had overcome them all, would perform such a kind, selfless act for someone he had only known for a few years.

At the investiture, my friends and family finally got to see a glimpse of the Dr. Perkins I had come to know and love over the last several years. This man on fire for the Lord set the stage on fire at Millsaps College, giving a free “sermon” on love and friendship, saying at one point coyly, “I think I like this guy. I think we might be friends.” His message of unity, unconditional love, our bond as brothers and sisters in Christ, all children of God, is something that we could all use quite a bit more of these days. Looking back, it can only be described as a God-thing, that a man, who was beaten by corrupt law enforcement for protesting, exercising his constitutional rights, and just trying to seek justice for others, would agree to love someone like me, who looks like those who persecuted him, and would speak at an event honoring the chief federal law enforcement officer for over half our state. That is not human will, but God’s will, and His divine plan.

When President Donald J. Trump came to Mississippi for the grand opening of the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum, some lawmakers, local elected officials, civil rights leaders, and others boycotted, but not Dr. Perkins and his family. Dr. Perkins was quoted as saying, “For me personally, it’s like an Ebenezer, a new beginning. And I hope this can be symbolic of a time for reconciliation… It was a ‘heart searching’ for me to come here after the President was coming, but I decided it’s too important. We got to do it together.”

While the COVID pandemic ended our weekly Bible studies in Dr. Perkins’s home, his daughters carry on his legacy and continue his Bible studies via a weekly ZOOM call with participants literally joining from all around the world.

After the pandemic subsided, I had the honor of taking Dr. Perkins to lunch with my 17-year-old son, Asa. The way Dr. Perkins’s face lit up when he saw my son, and the time he took speaking into and sharing his wisdom with Asa, felt like an Old Testament-type conveying of a father’s blessing. As we left the Mayflower Café in downtown Jackson, walking back to my truck to drive Dr. Perkins home, he wrapped his arm around the arm of my son and they walked arm and arm together down the street, with Dr. Perkins continuing to share his wisdom.

When asked how he has been able to do, see, experience and accomplish all that he has done, his simple response is: “The only answer I know to give is that these things can happen when you walk with God.” He talks of how “love is the final fight,” and how we were all made in God’s image, how we are all God’s children, and how we were all “made from one blood” as written in the Book of Acts and we are all one race. He is genuinely interested in whomever he is with, listening intently, making that person feel like he or she is the only person in the room, the only person that matters. He affirms, he encourages, he compliments, he builds others up.

Just two days ago, Dr. Perkins and Vera Mae celebrated their 73rd wedding anniversary! And Dr. Perkins still talks about his wife as if they were still newlyweds – the love is deep, profound and palpable. I don’t think I have ever met someone who loves, cares, and truly lives out the Gospel as much as this man.

I hesitated to even write this article, as I felt (and still feel) inadequate and unworthy in attempting to describe such a great man whom I have come to know and love over the past almost decade.

In our hyperbolic, super partisan, divided world, where we are more “connected” electronically but more divided than ever before, a self-described “third grade dropout” descended from “gamblers and bootleggers” has shown me what true love is, towards both God and others, what true forgiveness looks like, and how we are blessed to be called by and be a part of God’s plan.

I have been blessed a lot in my life, but few compare to having met and been known, taught and loved by Dr. John M. Perkins. Just imagine what would happen in our world, our country, our communities if we joined Dr. Perkins and made love our final fight. As Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 13:13 – “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” Happy birthday, Dr. Perkins. Thank you for loving others like Christ loves us.

The post An Uncommon Vessel Turns 93: The Irrepressible Life, Sacrificial Love and Unwavering Friendship of Dr. John Perkins appeared first on Magnolia Tribune.

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By: Mike Hurst
Title: An Uncommon Vessel Turns 93: The Irrepressible Life, Sacrificial Love and Unwavering Friendship of Dr. John Perkins
Sourced From: magnoliatribune.com/2023/06/21/an-uncommon-vessel-turns-93-the-irrepressible-life-sacrificial-love-and-unwavering-friendship-of-dr-john-perkins/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=an-uncommon-vessel-turns-93-the-irrepressible-life-sacrificial-love-and-unwavering-friendship-of-dr-john-perkins
Published Date: Wed, 21 Jun 2023 15:00:00 +0000

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Staring mortality in the face at Christmas

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1 year ago

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December 16, 2023

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My friend Jarrod is dying after an eight year battle with cancer. He’s lived a life worth celebrating, one that has drawn people to Christ.

I was going about my business this week when I received a text that stopped me in my tracks. A college friend was being moved to hospice care.

Jarrod Egley was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in early 2017. In the fall of 2018, tests revealed the cancer had spread to his lungs and Jarrod’s cancer was classified as Stage IV.

For almost eight years from the date of the original diagnosis, he’s fought. Through surgeries, radiation, endless rounds and cycles of chemotherapy, and experimental immunotherapies, he’s fought.

Last year, I flew out to California and spent some time with Jarrod and his wife, Emily. We sat outside one night. He acknowledged to me that it was not a question of ‘if’, but ‘when’ the cancer would claim his life. I told him I was sorry, because what else is there to say?

We talked about our faith, about the trials of Job, about Jacob wrestling with God, about Paul’s affliction. But mostly we reflected on our time together in school, on the good things, and the mundane things, that happened since.

Jarrod and I met at Tulane University. One Sunday morning in the Spring of my freshman year, I rose from my dorm room bed, dressed, and began walking down Saint Charles Avenue in New Orleans with no particular agenda. I walked until I came across First Baptist Church and the thought flickered in the vacuous recesses of my brain to enter.

Some would say it was a lark. The Calvinist in me says providence. The walk that morning changed the trajectory of my time at Tulane and my life on the whole. Intervarsity Christian Fellowship and the Baptist Collegiate Ministry became central to my life and put me in regular league with Jarrod. I met him first at the BCM and we ultimately ended up attending church together.

Jarrod was a faithful servant on and off campus. He helped organize a group of us that would weekly make our way down to the Esplanade seawall on the backside of the French Quarter to feed the homeless. On Friday nights, he could be found at chapel with a small cadre of students foregoing Bourbon Street for early 2000s worship music.

Jarrod was a loyal friend in those years. Never rude or biting. Not prone to an insult for an easy laugh. Persistently encouraging. An engineering student, his mind worked linearly and was oriented to problem solving. There were never a lot of wasted words — always a lot of deliberative questions when he disagreed or did not understand a point. He exhibited intelligence, empathy, and the kind of moral conviction that sets someone apart.

He also had a wry and dry sense of humor and a penchant for beating people at Madden football. He was fair-to-midland on the ultimate frisbee pitch. Along the way, there were crawfish boils, Mardi Gras outtings, poorly attended Tulane football games, and more than a decent amount of wing eating.

After college, I lost touch with Jarrod. He moved back to his home state of California. He got married to his college sweetheart, who could not have anticipated her husband’s journey, but has been a steady and constant helpmate throughout. Jarrod became a very successful engineer and a bourbon connoisseur. One of his bucket list trips took him to Kentucky, where he got to meet and became friends with bourbon “Hall of Famer” Freddie Johnson of Buffalo Trace acclaim.

Jarrod at Buffalo Trace Distillery (Spring 2022).

Sitting in his backyard nearly 20 years after graduating from Tulane, I saw many of the same qualities I had grown to admire when we were students together. I saw a husband who doted on and supported Emily’s passions. But I also saw someone whose body had been beaten to hell and back, who was tired, and who, like Jacob, had been wrestling with God. We quickly fell back into friendship, which perhaps is the mark of good friendship.

We all have aspirations in our youth — for the kind of spouse or parent we might be, for what we might accomplish, for what we might experience. Along the way, dreams are satisfied, modified, or they die on the vine. The clock inevitably works against all of us. That night in Oceanside, California, Jarrod, a numbers guy, saw that time was not on his side. He believed, as we all would, that he still had more to give, more impact to be made, and more things to see and experience.

After that trip, Jarrod and I stayed in touch, most frequently triggered by news of his cancer. It has been mostly the bad variety in recent months. Now spread throughout his body, down to his bones, he has lived in constant pain for months. Not even a steady diet of morphine and an implanted pain pump solve for it. Jarrod’s been hospitalized twelve times just in 2023.

But his matter of fact sense of humor and way of seeing the world remains in tact. So too does his faith that despite these trials, he has always been safe in the hands of Christ.

There are people in the world who believe that life is random, disordered, and without reason. I am not among them. I think my friend is staring mortality in the face at Christmas for a reason.

For thousands of years before Christ came, there was darkness and despair. Sin and shame gripped the hearts of men. Until one holy night, God, in His infinite love, mercy and wisdom, sent His son to save. Jesus is the light of the world and the hope of man. He has won victory over death and Jarrod’s will not be the exception. Jesus came for Jarrod, and for you.

For thousands of years since Jesus’s death, burial, and resurrection, His disciples have been used as divine instruments to point the way to God. Jarrod is among them. If life expectancies were the measure, Jarrod would be at the midway point for most people. He’s made a lifetime of impact for the Kingdom and on other people.

So, to my friend Jarrod, you were placed here with a purpose. You have run your race. You are loved. And when this chapter closes, you will hear “well done, my good and faithful servant.” There is no greater evidence of a life well lived.

While Jarrod and Emily have been fortunate to have health insurance, their portion of the medical bills so far in 2023 have eclipsed $30,000, and Emily is facing additional uncovered expenses during Jarrod’s hospice care, including a night nurse that costs over $400 a night. If you would like to help defray the cost, a contribution can be made at their Go Fund Me page.

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By: Russ Latino
Title: Staring mortality in the face at Christmas
Sourced From: magnoliatribune.com/2023/12/16/staring-mortality-in-the-face-at-christmas/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=staring-mortality-in-the-face-at-christmas
Published Date: Sat, 16 Dec 2023 15:05:22 +0000

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Magnolia Mornings: December 15, 2023

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1 year ago

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December 15, 2023

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Important state and national stories, market and business news, sports and entertainment, delivered in quick-hit fashion to start your day informed.

In Mississippi

1. Laurin St. Pe’ named CEO of Singing River Health System

Laurin St. Pe

The Board of Trustees of Singing River Health System announced the immediate appointment of Laurin St. Pe’ as the Chief Executive Officer on Thursday.

“We are thrilled to announce Laurin St. Pe as the new CEO of Singing River,” said Steve Ates, Board President in a statement. “His wealth of healthcare experience and proven track record make him the ideal leader to steer our health system toward its next phase of growth and success.”

St. Pe’, who has been serving as Interim CEO since July 2023, said he is honored to assume the role of CEO at Singing River. He has worked at Singing River as Administrator of Singing River Health System’s Pascagoula Hospital and Gulfport Hospital, in addition to overseeing program service lines throughout the entire system to his subsequent appointment as Chief Operating Officer of Singing River.

The health system says St. Pe played a crucial role in the financial revitalization of Singing River Health System while steering the organization toward financial stability.

2. Gulfport-Biloxi airport, Stennis evacuated after threats

The Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport was evacuated on Thursday morning “out of an abundance of caution,” airport officials said, after receiving an emailed threat to certain transportation entities across the state.

The airport was thoroughly security swept, cleared and reopened in just over two hours. Gulfport-Biloxi is now operating regularly.

The threat was also sent to Stennis International Airport. Their staff and personnel were also evacuated until the facilities could be swept and cleared.

Any passenger whose travel was affected by the evacuation is encouraged to contact their respective air carrier.

3. Cassidy arrested in Iowa for beheading Satanic Temple statue

Former Mississippi congressional and legislative candidate Michael Cassidy was arrested this week in Iowa for beheading a statue at the state’s Capitol erected by The Satanic Temple.

Cassidy reportedly decapitated the statue and turned himself to police on Thursday. He was charged with fourth degree criminal mischief. He then started an online legal defense fund where he’s raised upwards of $20,000 as of Thursday night, according to his X account.

4. “Serial fraudster” ordered to cease offering investments into companies

According to the Mississippi Secretary of State’s office, on October 26, 2023, Secretary Michael Watson and the Securities Division issued an order against Stephone N. Patton. The SOS says Patton is a serial fraudster with multiple criminal convictions in Mississippi and Florida.

Through business filings with the SEC and Mississippi, Patton has held himself to be the CEO of various companies, including Star Oil and Gas Company, Inc., North Gulf Energy Corporation, Inc., Patton Oilfield Services, Inc., and Patton Farms, LLC.

The SOS says using these business filings and company websites, Patton claimed to have raised hundreds of billions of dollars through investment opportunities. Through investigative efforts and collaboration with the SEC, the SOS discovered none of Patton’s companies are operational, have any assets, or generate any revenues. Account records show Patton spent investors’ funds almost as soon as he received them on personal expenses. The total amount of known investments made to Patton’s fraudulent companies is over $80,000. Further, none of Patton’s investment offerings have been registered or notice filed with the Mississippi Secretary of State’s Office.

The SOS order requires Patton to cease and desist from offering investments with his companies, requiring Patton to permanently deactivate his companies’ websites to prevent any further dissemination of his false or misleading information. Patton is also ordered to pay an administrative penalty of $25,000 to the Mississippi Secretary of State’s Office for these violations, in addition to restitution owed to all his Mississippi investors.

National News & Foreign Policy

1. Congressional retirements mounting as 2024 election cycle nears

Retirement and departure announcements are piling up ahead of the start to the 2024 election cycle. The New York Times has developed a Retirement Tracker that currently shows 22 Democrats and 11 Republicans who are in Congress now will not be seeking re-election next year.

“Dozens of members of Congress have announced plans to leave their seats in the House of Representatives, setting a rapid pace for congressional departures, with more expected as the 2024 election draws closer,” the NY Times reports. “Given Republicans’ razor-thin House majority, the wave of exits has the potential to lead to a significant shake-up next year.”

You can find the tracker here.

2. Texas, Daily Wire, The Federalist sue U.S. State Department over media censorship

The U.S. State Department’s Global Engagement Center has come under fire as Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton along with The Daily Wire and The Federalist have filed a federal lawsuit alleging that the department funded technology that could “render disfavored press outlets unprofitable.” They claim that the department has helped social media – Facebook, YouTube and X (formerly Twitter) – to censor free speech while funding technologies used to censor right-leaning news outlets such as theirs.

New Civil Liberties Alliance is representing The Daily Wire and The Federalist. Paxton and the outlets claim the Global Disinformation Index (GDI), a British think tank, received a $100,000 grant from the State Department in 2021, and NewsGuard, which rates the “misinformation” levels of news outlets, received $25,000 from the State Department in 2020, according to the lawsuit.

According to the State Department’s website, the Global Engagement Center’s mission is to direct, lead, synchronize, integrate, and coordinate U.S. Federal Government efforts to recognize, understand, expose, and counter foreign state and non-state propaganda and disinformation efforts aimed at undermining or influencing the policies, security, or stability of the United States, its allies, and partner nations.

As reported by Reuters, the lawsuit cited a GDI-produced list from December 2022 that ranked The Daily Wire and The Federalist as among the 10 “riskiest sites” for news while the least-risky included The New York Times, Associated Press and NPR. Reuters notes that the lawsuit alleges such “blacklists” are reducing revenues to The Daily Wire and The Federalist along with their visibility on social media and ranking results from browser searches.

Sports & Entertainment

1. SEC releases 2024 schedules

Wednesday evening, the Southeastern Conference released the 2024 football schedules for its member schools, including of interest in the Magnolia State the schedules for Ole Miss and Mississippi State.

It is the first schedule that includes new conference members University of Oklahoma and University of Texas, bringing the conference to 16 schools. Each SEC team will play eight conference football games plus at least one required opponent from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac 12 or major independent, each team will have two open dates.

The 2024 season will be the first year the SEC will play a schedule without divisional competition since 1991. The top two teams in the league standings based on winning percentage will play in the 33rd SEC Football Championship Game in Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Saturday, December 7.

2. White, Jesiolowski, Jones honored by MAIS

John White

The Midsouth Association of Independent Schools (MAIS) in Mississippi, comprised of non-public schools, announced this week that Madison-Ridgeland Academy’s senior quarterback John White was named the 6A Player of the Year while Hartfield’s Reed Jesiolowski and Hartfield Chris Jones were named the MAIS 6A Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, respectively.

All three have committed to play college football at the University of Mississippi.

White is Mississippi’s all-time leader in career passing yards with 15,259 yards, a record he broke during the 2023 season.

MAIS, like the Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) for public schools, is broken down into classifications, from 1A to 6A. However, MHSAA added a 7A this season.

Markets & Business

1. Consumer retail sales up as energy, gas prices move down

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported this week that the Consumer Price Index rose 0.1% in November after being unchanged in October. Retail sales rose 0.3% in November after rising 0.2% in October, meaning consumers continue to spend at the start of the holiday season.

The CPI or inflation rate is 3.1%, higher than the Federal Reserve target of 2% but below the 9% peak in 2022 which reached a 40-year high.

As for the energy index, BLS reported that it fell 2.3% in November after decreasing 2.5% in October. The gasoline index decreased 6% in November, following a 5% decrease in the previous month.

The index for fuel oil fell in November, decreasing 2.7%. However, the natural gas index rose 2.8% over the month after rising 1.2% the previous month. The index for electricity also rose 1.4% in November, after increasing 0.3% in October.

The energy index fell 5.4% over the past 12 months. The gasoline index decreased 8.9%, the natural gas index declined 10.4%, and the fuel oil index fell 24.8% over this 12-month span.

2. Week’s market rally continues into Friday

At close of trading on Thursday, the U.S. markets continued the week’s rally, pushing the Dow up 158 points to 37,248 while the Nasdaq and S&P also made gains, 27 points and 12 points, respectively, to close at 14,761 and 4,719.

The record high for the Dow on Thursday moved futures up 102 points.

According to CNBC, the major averages are headed for their seventh straight positive week. As of Thursday, the Dow is higher on the week by 2.8%. The S&P 500 is up by 2.5%, while the Nasdaq Composite rose 2.5% this week.

Stocks rallied after the Federal Reserve left rates unchanged this week while members look towards cuts in the new year and beyond.

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Title: Magnolia Mornings: December 15, 2023
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Published Date: Fri, 15 Dec 2023 13:00:00 +0000

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New water rates expected in Jackson come 2024; those who don’t pay face shut off

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1 year ago

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December 15, 2023

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Interim Third-Party Director Ted Henifin said this week that only about 59% of the City of Jackson’s water customers are paying their bills.

JXN Water has announced new rates and fees coming in 2024. Those who are not paying will be at risk of shut offs.

The company, which was established by federal appointed interim Third-Party Director Ted Henifin, has been overseeing the city’s water system for the better part of a year.

Officials estimated that the average cost for water in the city was $76 per month for residents. Henifin clarified that JXN water will not attempt to recoup any charges prior to November 29, 2022, and will work with those who have failed to pay since that time.

He said only about 59 percent of the city’s water customers are paying their bills.

“You can’t forgive bills, so we have to be creative in how we part that,” said Henifin in reference to Mississippi’s laws that prevent giving away water.

According to a release by JXN Water announcing the rate changes, residents in single family households with small meters that use up to 748 gallons daily would see a bill increase of roughly .30 cents per day. Research indicates that the average U.S. family uses 300 gallons per day.

SNAP customers will have a new rate tier that could lower their bill by up to .69 cents per day, on average.

“Those who need to save the most benefit from saving money by drinking tap water. This new rate structure makes water affordability possible for 12,500 JXN Water customers who receive SNAP benefits,” said Henifin in the release.

Read more about the anticipated rate changes here.

New fees will also be implemented, including a new service fee of $50, service deposit of $100, returned check fee of $25, service restoration fee of $100, and meter tampering charge of $500. 

JXN Water has continued to encourage residents to use the water, with Henifin going on the record in a federal status hearing saying that the water “was safe to drink.”

More conversation regarding the billing process is expected to come at next week’s Jackson City Council meeting.

The post New water rates expected in Jackson come 2024; those who don’t pay face shut off appeared first on Magnolia Tribune.

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By: Sarah Ulmer
Title: New water rates expected in Jackson come 2024; those who don’t pay face shut off
Sourced From: magnoliatribune.com/2023/12/15/new-water-rates-expected-in-jackson-come-2024-those-who-dont-pay-face-shut-off/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=new-water-rates-expected-in-jackson-come-2024-those-who-dont-pay-face-shut-off
Published Date: Fri, 15 Dec 2023 20:00:00 +0000

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