Community Corner
🌱 Patch AM: What upgrades could be coming to Singing Brakeman Park by 2027?
You won't want to miss THIRD THURSDAYS – Meridian Council For The Arts on the Meridian Patch calendar
Hey hey Meridian! Your one-stop source for local news is here. Continue reading for all the updates. ☀️
In today's newsletter:
- What upgrades could be coming to Singing Brakeman Park by 2027?
- How Meridian just honored civil rights hero James Chaney this week
- Why did a man climb a Meridian cell tower before dawn?
Also on today's calendar: Mississippi Science Festival is Back!.
Today's riddle: Where do math teachers go on vacation? 🤔 (Answer below!)
From our Partner
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- Saturday: Humid; a stray p.m. t-storm, with a high of 93 and low of 74 degrees. 🌶 Hot!
- Sunday: A thunderstorm in spots, temps: high: 97, low: 74.
- Monday: A t-storm around in the p.m., with a high of 98 and low of 74 degrees.
📰 News we're reading
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.
📸 Around Meridian
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🗓 Upcoming Events in Meridian
Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!
★ Featured events ★
- THIRD THURSDAYS – Meridian Council For The Arts →
Dumont Plaza, 400 22nd Ave, Meridian
5:30 pm
Thursday September 17
Want to see your event featured? Click here!
Other local events
- Mississippi Science Festival is Back! →
Mississippi Children's Museum - Meridian, 403 22nd Ave, Meridian
10:00 am
Saturday September 19
📣 Meridian Shout Outs!
Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!
🗓 Events Nearby
- ABC Come Play with Me →
Mississippi Children's Museum - Meridian, 403 22nd Ave, Meridian
10:00 am - Volleyball vs. Neshoba Central
West Lauderdale High School Collinsville, MS 39325
4:30 pm - Volleyball vs. Newton County
West Lauderdale High School Collinsville, MS 39325
5:00 pm - Football @ Neshoba Central (away)
West Lauderdale High School Collinsville, MS 39325
7:00 pm - Volleyball @ Northeast
West Lauderdale High School Collinsville, MS 39325
4:30 pm - Comic Commons at The MAX →
Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Experience (The MAX), 2155 Front St, Meridian
10:00 am - 32nd Annual Coors Light Fall Classic Night One →
Whynot Motorsports Park, 4680 Old Hwy 19 SE, Meridian
7:00 pm - Do The Halloween Pub Crawl in Meridian! →
Brickhaus Brewtique, 2206 Front St, Meridian
4:30 pm - Mimosas & Merrehope →
Merrehope, 905 Martin Luther King Jr Dr, Meridian
10:00 am - A Very Electric Christmas →
MSU Riley Center, Msu Riley Center, 2200 5th St, Meridian
11:30 am
Tuesday September 8
Thursday September 10
Friday September 11
Tuesday September 15
Saturday October 10
Friday October 23
Saturday October 24
Saturday December 12
Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.
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💬 Chatter
What your neighbors are talking about on social media
- Have you nominated a Good Neighbor yet?
Nominations close Monday, September 14th: https://nextdoor.com/gnd National Good Neighbor Day is Monday, September 28th, and this year Nextdoor is… (Nextdoor )
- The Salvation Army posted a job opening for Store Clerk & Sorting Room Worker_NE-ALM_401-Thrift Store Department in Meridian. Apply here.
- Ladgov Corporation posted a job opening for Bulk Storeroom Custodian in Meridian. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Meridian here.
Ok Meridian! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!
-- The Patch AM Team
P.S. The answer to today's riddle: Times Square (Thank you Jean K. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!
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