As winter weather moves across Mississippi, bringing hazardous conditions and forcing the cancellation of mobile blood drives, Mississippi Blood Services (MBS) is asking the community to step up and help save  lives. With donation centers in North Mississippi impacted for the safety of donors and staff, the state’s blood supply is under strain—while patient needs continue every day. “As the community prepares for winter weather, we’re asking everyone to help us stay ready to

By: Ron Powers In 1973, the Scottish folk rock band Stealers Wheel struck gold with the release of “Stuck In The Middle With You”. The song reached number 8 on the UK charts and soon became an international hit reaching number 6 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The band didn't expect the song’s huge success and were surprised when the single sold over one million copies. Interestingly, it was written as a parody of Bob Dylan's style and has been mistaken as a song by the folk leg

With more extreme cold and winter weather possible in the days to come, it’s important to check the safety of your heating equipment. Most importantly, remember to keep clothes, drapes, and anything else combustible at least 3 feet away from all heating equipment, especially space heaters. The Mississippi Insurance Department (MID) Fire Services Division and State Fire Marshal’s Office (SFMO) recommend the following heating fire safety tips. Never use space heaters while you

By: Ron Powers

Special to WTWZ Building on its ongoing commitment to simplifying care, Walmart continues its 2026 health momentum with The Wellness Event — a free, nationwide health and wellness experience taking place Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Walmart stores across the country. Designed to help customers feel informed, supported and energized, the event brings together Walmart’s pharmacy, vision and wellness teams for essential health screenings, guidance and acces

By: Bob Garver Poster credit IMDB             It’s time once again for that magical set of releases on the cinematic calendar: January Horror! Unable to get a Halloween release, unable to compete in blockbuster season, and unable to dominate a random weekend anywhere else on the calendar, January Horror movies are released at a time when their biggest competition is leftover holiday blockbusters and awards-season darlings. Studios are banking on audiences not wanting movies t

Send any responses to:  andybowman839@gmail.com     A mirror has a tough job.  To show you how fit, skinny or fat your body is. Your clothes have a tougher job, to make your body look good. Your body that is fit, ski…well, no need, you already have yourself categorized.  A washing machine’s job is to clean those dirty clothes you’ve had on your fit, skinny or fat body. The water in your shower or bath is to remove the dirt from your fat, skinny or fit body. A mirror reflects

Send any responses to: andybowman839@gmail.com “The chief fault and default position that seems to lead to the decline in the number of husbands and wives.”  A line taken from a song released decades ago, and recently re-released by Brookes & Dunn. Still so true today. The song is talking about Pride - the chief fault of us all. And invariably, the default position that every member of a couple falls back on, when they find themselves in an disagreement. Everybody wants to se

By: Alistair Begg, Magnolia Tribune Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things, and said to him, “Are we also blind?” – John 9:40 The great, and tragic, irony of the episode John recounts in chapter 9 of his Gospel is that while a blind man receives his sight, many of those who began with two working eyes reveal themselves to be utterly spiritually blind. John included this event because it is one of the signs that has been “written so that you may believe that Jesus i

By Bob Garver “The Housemaid” has unofficially sold itself based on how crazy it gets in its second half. This is slightly less annoying than when movies sell themselves based on their twist endings – at least here, the twist gets a chance to breathe, and maybe there will be other twists after the initial shock – but it still creates the problem of forcing the audience to wait for something crazy to happen. As “The Housemaid” went along in a direction that made sense, the mov

Send responses to: andybowman839@gmail.com Maybe it truly has been horrible all this time, maybe God did pick you out of all humanity to suffer badly your entire life. Maybe, just maybe, you were selected to show the world how a life of pure misery looks. No way out, impossible to change your destiny. You are designated to be the poster child for ‘ Life Without Hope or Happiness .’ But maybe, there is hope for you. Perhaps what you really need is a change of attitude, or a ch

By: Alistair Begg, Magnolia Tribune I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols … But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching … to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden. Only hold fast what you have until I come. The one who conquers and keeps my works until the end, to him I will give auth

By: Kara Kimbrough My carry-on suitcase was filled with delicacies from Barber Orchards and Bakery in Waynesville, NC. Back home, I created the perfect brunch that included, clockwise from bottom left: apple cider doughnuts, apple tarts, Barber’s strawberry preserves (and my homemade biscuits), apples I picked myself from a Waynesville apple orchard and hot apple cider.  (Photo courtesy of Kara Kimbrough) I can’t enter 2026 without sharing the best food and travel finds that

By Ron Powers In 1979, Bob Seger unleashed one of the most enduring feel-good anthems in rock history with “Old Time Rock & Roll,” a track that would become a cultural fixture far beyond its initial release. Written by George Jackson and Thomas Jones and reshaped by Seger’s unmistakable vocal grit, the song found its way onto the album Stranger in Town  and quickly became a fan favorite. Though Seger initially saw it as a simple, straight-ahead rocker, audiences connected ins

By Ron Powers

By Bob Garver Poster credit IMDB Back in 2019, brothers Benny and Josh Safdie delivered one of the best films of the year, and possibly the decade, with “Uncut Gems.” The film was, as I wrote in a review earlier this year, “a 135-minute anxiety attack.” And I mean that in the best possible way – I have enormous amounts of respect for movies and filmmakers that know just how to push my buttons. Now in 2025, the Safdie brothers have graduated to solo projects. Benny didn’t fare

Send responses to: andybowman839@gmail.com If you are anything like me and a lot of other people in this country, you are sick. Sick and tired of so much around you. Things like, not being able to walk safely to your car in a public parking lot, traffic tie-ups that can keep you trapped on the interstate for hours, and constant scams being foisted on you to separate you from your money. Cons from ‘companies’ (and I use that term very loosely) that are worried about your car m

By Bob Garver    Poster credit IMDB All the way back in 2009, director James Cameron introduced the world to the planet Pandora and the Na’vi race in “Avatar.” The film soon set the record for all-time highest grossing movie at both the domestic and international box offices (it still holds the record for the latter). Sequel “Avatar: The Way of Water” came out in 2022 and made its way onto the top 10 on both lists. Can three years’ worth of inflation help third installment “F

The 100 Men Hall is hosting  Thacker Mountain Radio Hour,  which   kicks off this year’s HOMEGROWN event with a live show at historic 100 Men Hall on Thursday, January 29, 2026 beginning at 6PM. The event features Thacker Mountain host Jim Dees, the Yalobushwackers Band, blues musician Corky Siegel, and author Ralph Eubanks. The event is free to the public courtesy of the Hancock County Library, please RSVP. There will be a cash/credit bar.    Thacker Mountain Radio   - Based

Dr. James Watson, State Veterinarian, issues a certificate of veterinary inspection to Santa Claus, permitting his reindeer to enter and exit the state of Mississippi on Christmas Eve, December 24. The Mississippi Board of Animal Health (MBAH) has approved a certificate of veterinary inspection for Santa Claus of the North Pole, authorizing his famous reindeer to enter Mississippi on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2025, for a holiday delivery run. "I am happy to announce that Sa