Picayune Main Street and Mississippi Power team up for beautification projects

There was a ribbon cutting Monday afternoon in Picayune for a new parking lot with several handicapped spaces across the street from City Hall. But the story is bigger than this one parking lot. Picayune Main Street has undertaken several projects to beautify and modernize downtown Picayune. They’ve opened a couple of other parking lots, removed old signs from businesses,…

MSDH reports 357 new COVID-19 cases and 26 new deaths

The Mississippi State Department of Health has reported 357 new COVID-19 cases and 26 new deaths including three in Harrison County. The statewide total stands at 298,008 cases and 6,834 deaths. Here’s a look at the cases by county in our area: Hancock County has 3,555 cases and 78 deaths Harrison County is at 16,943 cases and now 288 deaths…

Prescribed firing operations today at Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is planning to conduct prescribed firing operations today at the Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge. The potential burn site represents 133 acres located at the end of Bayou Bend Road, west of Gautier-Vancleave Road and south of Interstate 10 in Gautier. Prescribed fires are an essential part of refuge management to restore the…

International Women’s Day Floral Design Seminar

In honor of International Women’s Day, floral specialist Dr. Jim Delprince held a virtual floral design seminar, highlighting floral arrangements for Easter. Delprince demonstrated how to create three different tabletop floral designs made with fresh flowers during the Zoom seminar.  The first design featured was a round arrangement accented with flowers of various values of whites. The second arrangement featured…

Ocean Springs leaders make final preps for Fort Bayou Drawbridge closure

In less than a week, the Fort Bayou Drawbridge will shutdown for repairs, causing local leaders to make their final preparations in notifying the public. The intersection of Bienville Boulevard and Washington Avenue will look quite different one week from now as Ocean Springs city leaders make their final preps for the Fort Bayou Drawbridge closure at 10 p.m. on…

Harrison County bus driver motivates students

Surround yourself with someone who motivates you! Local bus driver Anthony Thompson motivates the kids on his bus daily. Last week he provided them with t-shirts motivating them to be their best. Last Friday, 40 students at Bel-Aire Elementary in Gulfport walked off the bus with some words of encouragement. Bus driver Anthony Thompson wanted to remind each and every…

New data reveal on sea turtles tracked by IMMS

Sea turtles are rescued, cared for, and rehabbed by the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies. You may remember two sea turtles we reported on earlier, Magnolia, a green sea turtle, and Toni, a rare female Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle, named after our own Toni Miles. Satellite trackers were placed on each of the turtles upon their release just south of…

Male dolphin rehabilitation at IMMS is moving along

Dolphins are revered for their intelligence, playfulness, and friendly interactions with humans, but let’s delve a little deeper as these majestic marine mammals are celebrated world-wide for National Dolphin Awareness Month. News 25’s Toni Miles takes us behind the scenes at the IMMS with an update on the recently rescued orphaned dolphin and what part he and his species play…

MSDH operating free drive-thru vaccination at the Coast Coliseum

One year ago today, the first positive case of COVID-19 was reported in the state of Mississippi. The progress in the fight against COVID-19 can be seen as the State Department of Health is operating free drive-thru vaccination site locations around the state. The site at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum is vaccinating about 980 qualifying individuals daily. The U.S. National…

Coast Residents receive new Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccine

Today is the first day Johnson and Johnson COVID vaccine appointments are underway. At the Singing River Cedar Lake Clinic in Biloxi, 20 of the new one dose vaccines were given to South Mississippians. Ten Singing River Health System clinics across Jackson and Harrison counties will administer 1,000 Johnson and Johnson COVID vaccines this week. Retired teacher Patty Comer was…

MSDH reports 70 new COVID-19 cases and no new deaths

The Mississippi State Department of Health has reported 70 new COVID-19 cases and no new deaths. The statewide total stands at 297,651 cases and still 6,808 deaths. Here’s a look at the cases by county in our area: Hancock County has 3,535 cases and 78 deaths Harrison County is at 16,904 cases and now 238 deaths Jackson County has 12,756…

The Whiskey Barrel in Bay St. Louis holding grand opening March 20th

The Whiskey Barrel in Bay St. Louis will be hosting their grand opening with Wayne Toups performing on March 20th. The Whiskey Barrel, located at 7165 Lower Bay Road, wanted to expand their venue to allow more customers in and allow bigger acts to perform. The bigger venue will hold up to 350 people. The Whiskey Barrel will host a…

Bayou Bargains grand opening in Gulfport

Gulf Coast residents are getting a bang for their buck thanks to a new discount store. Bayou Bargains in Gulfport hosted their grand opening this weekend. The new discount store allows you to get high priced items at a much lower price. Each day of the week is a specific price, but nothing will ever be more than $7. The…

Courtney Farms in Ocean Springs hosted a Grow your own Beverage Garden Workshop

Over the weekend, Courtney Farms in Ocean Springs hosted a cocktail, mocktails, teas, and infusion ‘Growing your own Beverage Garden’ workshop. The hands-on workshop allowed each guest to plant their own beverage garden with herbs of their choosing, including mint, rosemary, and chamomile. After planting the garden, guests learned ways to incorporate it into a drink, learned how to care…

Over 200 meals distributed at ‘Feeding the Hungry’ giveaway in Moss Point

On Saturday, a ‘Feeding the Hungry’ Food Giveaway was held in Moss Point. Over 200 free meals were distributed at this giveaway. The food distribution was set up outside a convenience store in Moss Point. As people got out of their cars to enter the store, they were surprised by the generosity of those distributing free food. ‘Feeding the Hungry’…

Fire agencies battle forest fire in Harrison County

A Sunday night forest fire located off Highway 49 near the Grand Bear Golf Course is now 70 percent contained. The fire stretched over 400 acres. Mississippi Forestry Commission and U.S. Forest Service Crew are mopping the area to contain the fire one hundred percent. A few weeks ago, Governor Tate Reeves declared March as Mississippi Fire Prevention Month. During…

First Friday and the District Green Block Party took over Downtown Biloxi Friday

Downtown Biloxi was very lively this evening as Biloxi Main Street’s First Friday coincided with the District Green’s Block Party. The block party kicked off at noon on Howard Avenue at the new District Green and featured live music, food trucks, and Fly Llama Brewing until 9:30 with Blackwater Brass closing out the night. Restaurants, shops, and vendors throughout Rue…

D’Iberville High teacher buys recycling bins with Mississippi Power grant

D’Iberville High School teacher Evelyn McQueen is using a grant to go green courtesy of Mississippi Power. Earlier this year, Mississippi Power presented McQueen with an environmental grant and she used that money to purchase recycling bins for the school. She bought bins for classrooms, the teacher’s lounge, and other offices in which they managed to recycle more than 3,200…

Local businesses still taking COVID-19 safety precautions

This week, Governor Tate Reeves lifted the mask mandate but some businesses are still taking safety precautions. When the COVID-19 lockdown hit last year, it took a toll on businesses, leaving many with no option but to shut down or adjust to the pandemic. Oren Zweig, owner of Lil Markets Deli and Bagelry in Ocean Springs, tells News 25 it…