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In today's newsletter:
Also on today's calendar: Mississippi Science Festival is Back!.
Today's riddle: Where do math teachers go on vacation? 🤔 (Answer below!)
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1. Meridian City Council approves applying for Singing Brakeman Park grant (meridianstar.com) — Meridian's City Council has approved partnering with Meridian Main Street to seek a $500,000 state revitalization grant for Singing Brakeman Park, with the city putting up a $100,000 match. If funded, work as early as April 2027 could add a permanent stage, new lighting, bus lane changes, and other upgrades that reduce event costs and improve the park for residents.
2. Meridian recognizes James Chaney with special banners (meridianstar.com) — Meridian officials have installed new banners at James Chaney Park and along James E. Chaney Drive to honor the Meridian-born civil rights worker's legacy. At a ceremony at First Union Baptist Church, city leaders, NAACP representatives, and Chaney's family connected his sacrifice for voting rights to ongoing efforts like local voter registration drives and preserving the city's civil rights history.
3. Man taken from scene by ambulance after climbing cell tower near MCC (wtok.com) — Early Friday morning in Meridian, first responders were called after a man climbed a cell tower along Highway 19 near Meridian Community College and initially demanded a helicopter to come down. Firefighters positioned a ladder truck, and the man eventually climbed down, was handcuffed by police, and taken away by Metro Ambulance. Authorities have not released details on his condition or motives.
4. Mississippi Crime Lab: backlogs, funding, and public perception (wtok.com) — Mississippi's crime lab system, including a key facility in Meridian, is working through years of backlogged autopsies and forensic cases while facing intense public scrutiny and online misinformation. Officials say investments in new labs, staff, and procedures have sharply reduced pending cases since 2024, but emphasize that careful evidence handling and accurate results must take priority over speed, even in high-profile deaths.
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-- The Patch AM Team
P.S. The answer to today's riddle: Times Square (Thank you Jean K. for sending it in!)
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