Tag: Mississippi

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Film Features Film/TV

Oxford Film Festival Celebrates 20th Anniversary

Little Richard: I Am Everything opens the 20th annual Oxford Film Festival on Wednesday, March 1.

Matt Wymer’s first year as executive director of the Oxford Film Festival is a special milestone for the organization. “This is our 20th Anniversary edition and we’re celebrating the audiences that allowed the Oxford Film Festival to inspire and entertain our community for the past two decades. To show our appreciation, we are providing more free screenings, more panels, and bigger parties than ever before.”

This year’s festival includes 15 narrative and 18 documentary feature films, 93 shorts, and 18 music videos. The opening night feature is Little Richard: I Am Everything, Lisa Cortes’ portrait of the R&B iconoclast. This film is so new it doesn’t have a trailer yet, but here’s the director talking about tackling the story of an often misunderstood musical genius.

In a festival year with history on its mind, OFF goes way back into the archives. The first film shot in Mississippi is believed to be The Crisis from 1916. It’s the story of an ill-fated love triangle between a St. Louis lawyer-turned-Union officer, a Southern belle, and her Confederate fiancé. The Mississippi Film Commission is sponsoring the screening as part of their own 50th anniversary celebration.

The Crisis

Oxford’s most famous native is brought to life by the present day Mississippi production William Faulkner: The Past Is Never Dead by director Michael Modak-Truran.

The closing night feature is The Banality, a Southern Gothic tale of recurring nightmares, small town eccentricities, and murder.

You can buy tickets and passes, and get more information about all the festival screenings and events, at the Oxford Film Festival website.

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News News Blog News Feature

Man Gets Probation for Lasering Airplanes

(Credit: Federal Aviation Adminstration)

A Mississippi man will spend three years under probation and nine months under home confinement for pointing a laser pointer at airplanes flying to and from Memphis International Airport (MEM).  

Eugene Conrad, 52, of Michigan City, Mississippi, was sentenced earlier this month after pleading guilty to the charges in federal court in December. For the crimes, he faced up to five years in federal prison, three years supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. 

On July 15th, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) notified the FBI Memphis Field Office of reports that planes flying into MEM from the east were consistently being struck in the cockpit and cabin by a green laser. The laser beams seemed to be coming from the Hardeman County, Tennessee and Benton County, Mississippi areas near the Tennessee/Mississippi border. From January 1, 2021 to July 15, 2021 there were 49 strikes by a green laser on aircraft, mainly FedEx planes.

There were 49 strikes by a green laser on aircraft, mainly FedEx planes.

On July 16th, agents looked for the source of the lights in Salsbury, Tennessee. While they were there, MEM’s air traffic control relayed reports that planes were being struck by a laser. FBI agents saw the light long enough to get its general vicinity but the laser stopped before they could find the source. 

In August, agents looked around Salsbury again. This time they had a plane from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) with a camera attached. At around 9:30 pm, the TBI aircraft entered the area over Hardeman County, Tennessee and almost immediately began reporting laser strikes originating from the south and southwest.

The TBI plane circled the area several times. Surveillance equipment pinpointed an individual standing in front of a house at the intersection of Whippoorwill Road and Hamer Road in Benton County, Mississippi near the Tennessee/Mississippi border.

When agents arrived on the scene, they saw a male, later identified as Conrad, walking around a house while lasering the plane. A green laser pointer was found in an outdoor trashcan. Conrad admitted to law enforcement to intentionally striking planes flying near his residence with the green laser for several months. 

This is not a game. It is a criminal act.

Douglas Korneski, special agent in charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Memphis Field Office

“It is important that people understand this is not a game,” said Douglas M. Korneski, special agent in charge of the FBI Memphis Field Office. “It is a criminal act with potential deadly consequences for pilots, crew, and passengers. 

“When the powerful beam of light from a handheld laser is aimed at an aircraft, the light can illuminate a cockpit and blind pilots. Aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft is a serious matter and a violation of federal law.”

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CannaBeat News News Blog News Feature

Bar Leafy Green Scheduled to Become City’s First “Canna Bar”

Credit: Bar Leafy Green/Facebook

Memphis’ first cannabis bar is readying to open, promising drinks and products infused with CBD and THCV (what some call “diet weed”).

Bar Leafy Green “South Bluff” is planned for 6 West G.E. Patterson in the South Main district, close to the corner of Front Street. No firm timeline was given for the date of the bar’s opening in the news release. But when it does, Bar Leafy Green will be open daily from 2 p.m.-7 p.m.

The bar will feature, ”infused mocktails,” including Strawberry Jasper, Peach Crystal, Mango Opal, and more. Bar Leafy Green will also offer “snacks and a rotating list of fun activities: live music, comedy, speed dating, bingo, spades tournament, movie nights, paint and sip, and much more!”   

”I want our locations to be warm, welcoming safe places for people to gather and create memorable canna experiences, learn all about canna effectiveness through our canna and community engagement and education,” said Bar Leafy Green founder Effren Bledsoe.  

The new bar is described as a place to “choose your mood and your journey.” It’ll be a “safe place to consume our premium products,” a “true Mid-South canna bar,” and a neighborhood gathering place.” 

The company is also planning to open a location in Jackson, Tennessee called (Green) Spa by Bar Leafy Green. 

Bar Leafy Green claims to be “Tennessee’s first canna bar.” But it’ll have to battle Buds & Brews for the title. That restaurant and bar is planned to open in Nashville’s Germantown neighborhood sometime this spring. There are not many details at Buds & Brews’ website, except that restaurant will feature ”a menu of upscale bar fare paired with our own line of delicious cannabis infused condiments.” The restaurant will also serve products from Craft Cannabis, a Nashville-based company.    

TVA Re-clarifies Its Mississippi Position

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) said, again, this week that it will continue to provide power to all of its customers in Mississippi, even those in the cannabis business, but said it’s still checking in with the feds about it. 

Last month, TVA said it was unsure if providing power to cannabis businesses violated federal law. Cannabis is illegal on the federal level, on the scale with heroin and meth. So, when Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves signed the state’s medical cannabis program into law in February, TVA said it wanted to see if there was a conflict with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). 

In response, Brandon Presley, Mississippi’s Public Service Commissioner, said cannabis businesses should be treated like any other. Presley said TVA’s authority ends when it delivers power to a local utility. He noted, too, that TVA’s questions had “caused some medical marijuana facilities to look at other areas of the state and therefore possibly denying North Mississippians the benefits of the newly passed medical marijuana program.” 

In a latter to Presley on Monday, February 28th, TVA general counsel David Fountain said, again, power would continue to flow to all customers in Mississippi, with the following caveat:

“TVA respects the role of state governments, and the democratic will of their voters, in making decisions regarding state law,” Fountain said. “However, as a federal agency, TVA is required to adhere to federal law and regulations.”

As for Presley’s concern on losing business, Fountain wrote, “we recognize the opportunities for economic development that the new law presents in northern Mississippi. As we receive additional guidance from the appropriate federal agencies, we will share more insight and information.”

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CannaBeat News Blog News Feature

TVA Clarifies Mississippi Cannabis Question

Photo by Add Weed on Unsplash

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) clarified Thursday that it will continue to provide electricity to customers in Mississippi, even if they’re growing cannabis. 

Mississippi voters approved a medical marijuana program for the state in a ballot initiative in 2020. A court ruling threatened to overturn the will of the voters last year, but Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves signed the bill into law earlier this month with restrictions that limited amounts of cannabis patients could buy. 

Days after Reeves signed the bill, TVA asked the federal government for guidance on delivering power to cannabis companies, according to Tupelo’s Daily Journal newspaper. Cannabis remains illegal on the federal level, listed on the government’s Schedule I category along with heroin, peyote, and meth. The utility said it wanted to ensure it was not breaking a federal law by supplying power to cannabis growers.   

But TVA officials said Thursday the company has an obligation to deliver the power. 

“There will be no interruption in service because of this newly signed law.”

Tennessee Valley Authority

”We want to be clear about TVA’s position on the implications to our energy service to Mississippi customers: TVA has an obligation to serve our customers with safe, reliable, low-cost energy and we will continue to do so,” reads the statement. “There will be no interruption in service because of this newly signed law.

“The broader issue is a complex one and represents a conflict between state and federal law. We are looking to the appropriate federal agencies for further clarification and have requested additional guidance.

”Our service to our customers remains unchanged and we will continue to carry out our mission.”

“TVA’s statement has already caused some medical marijuana facilities to look at other areas of the state and therefore possibly denying North Mississippians the benefits of the newly passed medical marijuana program.”

Brandon Presley, Mississippi’s Public Service Commissioner

Confusion over TVA’s response and clarification was loud enough to merit a statement from Brandon Presley, Mississippi’s Public Service Commissioner. 

“TVA’s statement has already caused some medical marijuana facilities to look at other areas of the state and therefore possibly denying North Mississippians the benefits of the newly passed medical marijuana program,” Presley said in a statement posted to Twitter Thursday. “It is a long-held principle in state law that electric utilities have an obligation to serve customers without discrimination. 

“A licensed medical marijuana facility under Mississippi law is no different. It is my position that any licensed medical marijuana facility should be served with electricity upon application and request.

“Once power is delivered by the TVA to a local utility, TVA’s oversight ends and controlling state law and Public Service Commission statutes ensure that these facilities should be served with electricity like any other licensed business.”

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News Blog News Feature

Judge Orders Horn Lake Mosque to Move Ahead

Credit: ACLU

A new mosque can be built in Horn Lake, Mississippi, after a Tuesday consent decree forced leaders there to approve plans for its construction. 

Horn Lake planning board members and town aldermen denied the application to build Abraham House of God last year, claiming the building did not have an adequate sprinkler system. Those who sought permission to build the mosque said the decision was due to anti-Muslim bias. 

In November, plaintiffs — Abraham House of God and Cemetery, Inc.; MR Property, LLC; Riyadh Elkhayyat; and Maher Abuirshaid — sued Horn Lake’s planning commission, its board of aldermen, and city mayor Allen Latimer. The group claimed city leaders discriminated against the project on the basis of religion, in violation of their rights under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act. 

U.S. District Court Judge Michael Mills agreed, saying that their allegations were proven factually correct, they show “strong allegations of religious discrimination.” 

Rather than challenging Mills’ decision, Horn Lake officials nullified their denial of the project and agreed to approve it by February 8th, and to act upon any further permits or applications for the project without delay.  

The city of Horn Lake also has to pay $25,000 to the developer, MR Property, to cover costs associated with appealing the decision to the town council and to the state. The city will also have to pay all attorneys’ fees and court court costs. 

“We are heartened and relieved that we are able to move ahead with our plans for a mosque in Horn Lake, which will provide a critical local house of worship for my family and other Muslims in the community to gather and practice our faith freely and without discrimination,” said Elkhayyat, co-founder of the Abraham House of God mosque. 

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the ACLU of Mississippi (ACLU-MS), and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP represented those involved in the mosque project. 

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News News Blog News Feature

Tennessee Wins Water Case in Unanimous Supreme Court Decision

Credit: U.S. Supreme Court

Tennessee won a 16-year legal battle over water rights in the U.S. Supreme Court Monday. 

Lawyers for the state of Mississippi have argued for more than a decade that Tennessee is stealing its water from the Middle Claiborne Aquifer, an expansion of underground water that flows beneath eight states. Oral arguments in the case went before the Supreme Court in early October. Mississippi sought $615 million in damages.

Justices were unanimous in their verdict issued Monday morning. “Mississippi’s complaint is dismissed without leave to amend,” reads the opinion, which means officials there cannot change their argument and bring the issue back to court. Should lawyers bring the case back to the court, they’ll have to file a new case.

In its latest argument, Mississippi lawyers told justices that water pumping in Tennessee sucks up water from Mississippi under the state line. Mississippi claimed an absolute ownership right to all groundwater beneath its surface — even after that water has crossed its borders. Lawyers claimed Tennessee’s wells violated Mississippi’s sovereign ownership rights to the water. 

Justices agreed that pumping in Tennessee “clearly” has effects on water levels in Mississippi. Memphis Light, Gas & Water pumps about 120 million gallons from the aquifer each day from more than 160 wells in and around Memphis, according to the court. 

“Tennessee’s pumping has contributed to a cone of depression that extends miles into northern Mississippi, and Mississippi itself contends that this cone of depression has reduced groundwater storage and pressure in northern Mississippi,” reads the opinion. 

However, instances like these are a “hallmark,” justices said, of similar cases remedied by equitable apportionment, meaning the states have to share the water equally. Though, the Mississippi case is the first time equitable apportionment laws would be applied to aquifers. 

But Justice John Roberts, writing for the court, said the rule should not be different for aquifers and when water is shared between two states, “each one has an interest which should be respected by the other.”

“Mississippi suggests the Middle Claiborne Aquifer is distinguishable from interstate rivers and streams because its natural flow is ‘extremely slow,’” reads the opinion by Chief Justice John Roberts, writing for the court. “But we have long applied equitable apportionment even to streams that run dry from time to time. 

“And although the transboundary flow here may be a mere ‘one or two inches per day,’ that amounts to over 35 million gallons of water per day, and over 10,000,000,000 gallons per year. So, the speed of the flow, at least in the context of this case, does not place the aquifer beyond equitable apportionment.”

If Mississippi returned the case to the court, it would be to ask for terms of equitable apportionment and “must prove by clear and convincing evidence some real and substantial injury for damage.”

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Fog and Wild Horses: U.S. Supremes Hear Mississippi’s Water Battle with Tennessee

Credit: U.S> Supreme Court

Mississippi took its 16-year battle against Tennessee for water rights to the U.S. Supreme Court Monday and Justices compared the issue to wild horses in Mexico and fog over San Francisco.

John Coghlan, attorney for the state of Mississippi in the case, said the court should reject the Special Master’s conclusions to the case. Last year, the judge said, basically, that Tennessee has not been stealing water from Mississippi. 

However, Coghlan said the case is not about whether or not Tennessee is asking more than its fair share of the water. He said the Supremes should focus on another question: Can Tennessee control groundwater while it’s located in Mississippi’s sovereign territory? 

“Even if the aquifer is an interstate resource, Mississippi still possesses sole and exclusive control over groundwater within its sovereign territory, as recognized in [Tarrant Regional Water District versus Herrmann] and ensured by the Constitution,” Coghlan said. “And [Tennessee] cannot force groundwater across the border without violating this sovereignty.”

In questioning by Justice Clarence Thomas, Coghlan admitted that the Tarrant decision was a “cross-border situation.” But this case is, also, he said, as Tennessee’s “wells are physically located in Tennessee, but the pumping is physically crossing the border, unnaturally changing the pressure levels in this aquifer.”

Justice Thomas replied, “But couldn’t Tennessee make the exact same argument about you? Couldn’t Tennessee, Arkansas, Missouri all make the same argument that whenever you pump you’re causing similar problems for them?”

David Frederick, attorney for Memphis Light, Gas and Water in the case, told the court that Tennessee has lawfully pumped water from the Middle Claiborne Aquifer for more than 130 years. Traditional water-sharing rules don’t apply in the case and, therefore, Mississippi’s claim for $600 million in damages should be dismissed. 

“The undisputed facts are the aquifer’’s water volume in the greater Memphis and northern Mississippi area has changed very little in the past 100 years,” Frederic said. “The aquifer is fully saturated and in a state of equilibrium, and Mississippi has increased its own pumping dramatically and can extract all the water it needs.”

Chief Justice John Roberts clarified that Mississippi’s argument goes past equitable apportionment, the equal sharing of natural resources that flow between states. Coghlan agreed that it did, as Tennessee was reaching across its border and exercising control in waters located in Mississippi. 

Coghlan conceded that water in the aquifer flowed from Mississippi into Tennessee. But he argued it was irrelevant whether or not it was classified as interstate water to be shared. 

Justice Sonia Sotomayor reminded Coghlan of the case’s long legal history and asked, “When is enough enough?”

“You’ve been litigating this case for over 16 years,” Sotomayor began. “You started in the Fifth Circuit. You went to the district court, you went to the circuit court; both courts told you you’ve got to seek equitable apportionment. 

“You came here in 2010. We tell you the same thing. Now this is the third time you’ve done this. This time you explicitly disclaim any claim for equitable apportionment. When is enough enough? When should you be stopped from amending and seeking equitable apportionment, assuming you lose?”

Coghlan explained the case is relevant still as it is for future damages, not rectifying not seeking damages for the past. This is, in part, he argued, why simply sharing the water is the wrong legal remedy. It doesn’t address the sovereign control of the water. 

If the court ruled against Mississippi in the case this time around, Coghlan explained to Justice Sotomayor that, yes, the state would want the option to change its argument and pursue the matter in courts in the future. He said, we would want to obtain “whatever relief is possible for Mississippi.”

The Justices then began comparing the water that flows beneath Mississippi and Tennessee to natural resources that flow freely in other states. 

Chief Justice Roberts: “In the western states, they have these, I don’t know, wild horses or wild burrows, whatever they are, and they don’t obey the state lines and they’re wandering around and they — let’s just say they go from, you know, New Mexico to wherever.

“Let’s suppose that they’re — I know they’re pests, I guess, in some places, but let’s suppose they’re a valuable resource. If they were in Mississippi and crossed into Tennessee and Tennessee seized them at that point, would that be damaging Mississippi, or could Tennessee say, ‘Look, they’re on our territory, they’re under our physical control. We can exercise dominion over them, period’?”

Justice Stephen Breyer: “My understanding — and you have to — it’s very elementary. I mean, I think water falls from the sky. Some of it’s evaporated back. Others of it goes into oceans or lakes or streams. A huge amount goes underwater — underground. It’s groundwater, and it runs all over the place. That’s why I like the wild horses. My idea of that groundwater is it’s going all over the place.

“San Francisco has beautiful fog. Suppose somebody came by in an airplane and took some of that beautiful fog and flew it to Colorado, which has its own beautiful water — air. And somebody took it and flew it to Massachusetts or some other place. I mean, do you understand how I’m suddenly seeing this and I’m totally at sea? It’s that the water runs around. And whose water is it? I don’t know. So you have a lot to explain to me, unfortunately, and I will forgive you if you don’t.”

At this point, Coghlan explained that he’s not arguing that Mississippi owns the water. He said he’s arguing the state has the right to control the water while it’s within the borders of the state. Tennessee, he said, should not have the right to control it, by pumping it while it’s under Mississippi ground. 

Chief Justice Roberts looked to the future of the case, noting that, if Mississippi won the suit, then Tennessee could bring a counterclaim with the exact same argument: that Mississippi was controlling water under its sovereign border. Coghlan agreed. 

Roberts said if Tennessee did sue, “The normal thing would be [that] I’d take whatever … Tennessee owes you, whatever you owe Tennessee, and set it off against the other.” Coghlan agreed and Roberts said, “That starts to sound a lot like equitable apportionment.” Coghlan said that remedy would “be similar to equitable apportionment.” 

In the end, the court was skeptical of Mississippi’s argument that it owned the water “simply by virtue of having passed through Mississippi’s territory,” said Frederick Liu, who filed a brief supporting Tennessee on behalf of the federal government. 

The court also worried the case could set a precedent. If Mississippi prevailed and Tennessee had to pay for water in the future, that other states would begin suing one another for water rights.

The case was submitted for an opinion Monday.

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Politics Politics Beat Blog

Trust in God Best Answer to Covid, Says Mississippi Governor

Governor Reeves talks as, among others, Commissioners Wright and Mills listen

If there is an ideal place in Shelby County for Republicans to feel at home and certain of their turf (both physical and psychological), it is surely the expansive country manse that Brent Taylor has built in suburban Eads and periodically offers as a haven for this or that visiting GOP dignity. Taylor, who has occupied several local governmental positions and is now chairman of the Shelby County Election Commission, has served many party dignitaries by offering them his home as the site for a fundraiser, as he did Thursday night. For Tate Reeves, governor of Mississippi.

Aside from the hospitality, the house itself — half of it a replica of the Governor’s Mansion of Texas, the other half a reconstruction of the Mississippi Governor’s Mansion, has its own charm.

7th District Congressman David Kustoff was an early speaker at the affair, making plain his disapproval of Democratic President Joe Biden’s handling of troop evacuation from Afghanistan: “A catastrophe on Biden’s watch,” he called it. “No exit plan!”

The next GOP eminence up was Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett, who told the crowd, “It’s been an interesting time to be the chief election officer in the state of Tennessee, or really the chief election officer anywhere in the country. What I want to show each and every one of you is that we’re going to do everything we can to make sure that we, whenever we count the votes, you know, we count them once — no more,  no less.”

Eventually, following a gracious proclamation in his honor presented  by Shelby County Commissioners Mick Wright and Amber Mills, and read aloud by Mills, there was Governor Tate Reeves, and, though he used the word “solidarity” relative to the ongoing national emergency,  he wasted no time conveying his dispraise of Biden: “Since the election of this president, I don’t know what has been worse, the execution of the removal of our troops from Afghanistan, or the execution of our southern border. Fact is this president just doesn’t understand.”

Reeves warmed quickly to what sounded like an essential credo: “I don’t always know what the future holds. But I do know who holds the future. And when you are in an elected office, you place your confidence in our Heavenly Father, and you let him provide you the strength to make the hard decisions. And everything else is what it is.”

The governor applies this lesson of faith to the ongoing Covid crisis, which finds Mississippi among the most afflicted states, both in numbers of cases and in the percentage of citizens infected.

“I’m often asked by some of my friends on the other side of the aisle regarding Covid,” Reeves said. “You know, most of them are about Covid. And why does it seem like both in Mississippi and maybe in the Mid-South people are a little less — scared, shall we say. And my response is, when you believe that living on this Earth is but a blip on the screen, you don’t have to be so scared.”

Reeves would add: “Now, God also tells us to take necessary precautions. And we all have opportunities and abilities to do that. And we should all do it. And I encourage everyone to do so.” 

After his formal remarks, the Governor would contend that the curve of new Covid cases in Mississippi has held steady for a week, and he reaffirmed his opposition to imposing state mandates for either masks or vaccines.

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Cover Feature News

Day Trippin’: Cabin Fever? Get Away Without Going too Far

CREDIT: Jesse Davis

After a year of quarantines, shutdowns, and cabin fever, a little road trip can really cure a vacation itch — without the time off from work, hotel fees, plane tickets, etc. that often accompany an actual vacation. With several options within a few short hours of the city limits, it’s easy to hop in the car, see the sights, unplug, and have some fun — and even be back home by sundown.

Calico Rock, Arkansas

My status as an angler is amateur at best, but when I was younger, my family used to make pilgrimages to Calico Rock in Izard County, Arkansas, to fish for trout in the White River. I’ve done well enough with lures and live bait, from the boat and from the shore, but I’ve never made the leap into the die-hard world of flyfishing. Whether I caught much or not, though, it was some of the most fun I can remember having.

As I recall it, as the water swirls around your rubber waders or the bow of your boat, it’s cold — piercingly so. The White River, fed from the depths of Beaver Lake, is famously frigid. It’s the kind of shocking chill that will jolt you awake, driving thoughts of the city and the job from your mind. All the better to tune into the quiet rhythms of the Natural State.

Jesse Davis

Jenkins Fishing Service on the White River

I made the three-hour trip to Calico Rock myself just a few weeks ago. Fishing season had not yet started back up, but I enjoyed myself hiking along the banks of the meandering Calico Creek. I snapped a few photos, thought about fishing trips of old and those still to come, and enjoyed the clean, crisp, cool air.

Of course, the adventurous Mid-Southerner venturing into the Arkansas wilds need not stop at Calico Rock. The Little Red River and the Black River are known to be excellent fishing spots as well; and Lake Ouachita, a jewel of a lake, is hard to beat for camping, hiking, and canoeing. Or, for those less sporty types, and I’m speaking from experience now, just kick back by the campfire with a good book and a bottle of bourbon and enjoy the scenery. — Jesse Davis

Taylor, Mississippi

The rustic village of Taylor is, as Faulkner called it, “a postage stamp of native soil.” But it’s an interesting stamp, and reputedly the only real Mississippi town name that Faulkner allowed into his novels. It’s also a nice day-trip destination — about 90 minutes from Memphis — offering a melange of vintage small-town structures, local art galleries, and memorable food, both plain and fancy.

The story goes that in the 1970s, when real estate prices started rising in Oxford, a number of painters, potters, musicians, and other refugees moved to Taylor, giving it a cachet of bohemia that still remains. The weathered and largely unrestored main thoroughfare also remains, with a few plank buildings and a rustic gas pump and board sidewalk. You can visit local galleries and shops, drop into Carter’s Store for “dry goods,” and, if you’re willing to hang around on the front porch until a table opens (a pleasant experience, usually), you can eat some of the famous catfish at Taylor Grocery & Restaurant. You can also take it with you if indoor dining is still not an option you’re interested in.

Google Earth

The Plein Air development in Taylor, Mississippi

Google Earth

Carter’s Store

grittaylor.com

Grit

If catfish isn’t your thing, you’re in luck. You can sample some fine Southern fusion cuisine — and maybe an artisanal cocktail or two — at Grit, which is located in the new Plein Air development, not far from Taylor’s main drag. (Which is a very small main drag, for the record.) The homes in Plein Air are classic Southern design, with front porches and lawns, sort of like Seaside in Florida or Memphis’ Harbor Town. It’s a nice neighborhood, and “The Mill” is a popular site for weddings. There are a couple of shopping opportunities in Plein Air, as well. And the drive back can be fun, if you explore the backroads. Which is what Faulkner would recommend. — Bruce VanWyngarden

Reelfoot Lake — Tiptonville, Tennessee

I’m on my vintage Indian Scout with the sun on my back and the wind in my hair. Helmet be damned. The daydream comes to a sudden halt with four words, “Are we there yet?”

I came back to reality driving a 2014 minivan with two “I’m bored” preteens and a “Where are we going again?” septuagenarian.

Earlier at home, my 7- and 9-year-old nieces uttered the words “I’m bored” one too many times. Aunt Juju sprang into action loading everyone in the car for another infamous “crazy aunt” mystery trip. On these trips, I don’t say where we are going; It’s a surprise. Thirty minutes in, someone always asks, “How long until we get there?” I look at my phone and say, “In about when-we-arrive hours.”

Julie Ray

Nature Center, like the recently opened Youth Ninja Course, are open to the public.

The 7-year-old was wearing a tie-dye sweatshirt with Christmas tree pajama pants. Reelfoot Lake in Tiptonville, Tennessee, is about 100 miles through some quaint small towns and, luckily, has a relaxed dress code. Bald eagles, a gorgeous lake, and fried chicken at Boyette’s would be the best bet to fill the void on a cold, overcast day.

Google Maps suggested Highway 14. Not only is this route an extra hour, it’s boring. Best take Highway 51; it’s more entertaining, and the route is only two hours. We missed the bald eagle tour, the park was closing soon, and the kids got hungry hours ago, necessitating a stop at Sonic. No one was hungry for Boyette’s, but we did see eagles and find a Youth Ninja Course — a very scaled-down version of American Ninja Warrior‘s obstacle course. That was a hit.

I’ve been to Reelfoot Lake and Boyette’s before via Highway 51. You’ll just have to take my word that it’s a worthy day trip. Best enjoyed on a vintage Indian Scout. — Julie Ray

Holly Springs, Mississippi

A day trip for me means eating. A trip to Holly Springs, Mississippi, only about an hour from Memphis, ensures lots of good eating. And more.

A must is Phillips Grocery, known for its hamburgers made with secret ingredients. I like to eat on the porch and drink a Nehi grape or orange with my burgers at the restaurant, housed in a circa 1882 saloon. They also have a great chicken sandwich.

Alice McLallen Kerley

Phillips Grocery

Marshall Steakhouse, a massive restaurant owned by Randall Swaney, is a shrine to beef. In summer, catch a show on the outdoor stage. You also can eat outside at one of the many tree-shaded picnic tables.

For fabulous catfish, barbecue, and other cuisine, visit Clancy’s Cafe in Red Banks, 10 minutes from Holly Springs going toward Memphis. Desserts include cakes made by owner Tyler Clancy’s grandmother.

Places to go between eating include the Marshall County Historical Museum, which area Baby Boomers might compare to the old Pink Palace Museum, which was full of everything. This museum encompasses several floors and includes vintage clothing, toys, dolls, quilts, and old farm tools.

The nearby Kate Freeman Clark Art Gallery exclusively features art by the late Holly Springs artist.

Check out the Ida B. Wells-Barnett Museum and Cultural Center of African and African-American History, which highlights worldwide contributions in history, art, and culture.

If you’re an Elvis fan, drive by (it’s not open to the public) Graceland Too, which the late Paul MacLeod once devoted as a shrine to the King.

Venture less than an hour away to Tupelo to see more Elvis. This is where his childhood home is located. And grab something to eat at one of Elvis’ former hangouts, Johnnie’s Drive-In.

Finally, on your way to and/or from Tupelo to Holly Springs, get an extraordinary homemade apple or peach pie at Flick’s Truck Stop in Potts Camp.— Michael Donahue

The Clinton Presidential Museum and Library — Little Rock, Arkansas

Though it has, like other national installations featuring historical government archives, undergone temporary closure, the Clinton Presidential Library and Museum in Little Rock should be on anybody’s future list, and should be generally available soon, given the advent of multiple vaccines and, as of early 2021, intensified anti-COVID policies at all levels of government.

Located just off the first interstate exit at Little Rock, as one heads west on I-40, the library stands in cantilevered splendor on a 30-acre park. Inside, it contains archival collections and research facilities, as well as mementoes galore of the 42nd president’s time in office: photographs and videos of key historical moments and artifacts of Clinton’s travels as chief executive, along with replicas of documents ranging from important treaties to personal correspondence with the likes of Elton John. And yes, a saxophone.

Jackson Baker

at Resolute desk

Visitors have the opportunity to go interactive, sitting at exact replicas of the cabinet table in Clinton’s White House conference room and at the famed Resolute desk in an Oval Office space that models Clinton’s taste and, we learn, has been largely replicated in Joe Biden’s choice of decor. And not just sit; both of these historical spaces are outfitted with easily operated audio-visual reminders of the events, both momentous and personal, that occurred there and can be re-experienced by the visitor.

A lot of history here at one’s beck and call, and close by! — Jackson Baker

Delta Bound

Memphis is lucky to have, right on its doorstep, nothing less than the crucible of some of America’s greatest music. That would be the Mississippi Delta, of course, and for anyone hankering to get out of town, it can be the perfect escape. Thankfully, barreling down Highway 61 (in a convertible, anyone?) is COVID-safe.

Along the way, watch for the signs of the Mississippi Blues Trail (msbluestrail.org), which alert travelers to significant locations in the music’s history. One of the first you’ll see stands in the cemetery where Memphis Minnie is buried, just west of Walls, where she grew up. Others are found near Tunica, Clarksdale has over a half dozen, and that’s just the beginning.

Stopping off to soak in the Delta landscape, while learning blues history, is a glorious escape on a sunny day. But the blues museums along the way are also an option. In one recent trip to see several Delta museums, I had them all to myself. The Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale, the Grammy Museum in Cleveland, and the B.B. King Museum in Indianola, among others, can provide hours of education and entertainment.

Alex Greene

B.B. King Museum in Indianola

Alex Greene

Robert Johnson’s grave in Greenwood

Alex Greene

Delta Blues Museum

Alex Greene

Hubert Sumlin marker in Greenwood

But there’s more to the Delta than just music. See the current Delta Magazine for a comprehensive guide to public art in the region, from murals to sculpture to architecture. The area is bursting with creativity, as spaces like the Mississippi Arts and Entertainment Experience in Meridian, the Mathews-Sanders Sculpture Garden in Cleveland, or the H.C. Porter Gallery in Vicksburg make abundantly clear.

Meanwhile, those who love non-musical history have plenty to discover, starting with the multi-state Civil Rights Trail (civilrightstrail.com), which has many markers and sites through the Delta. Greenwood sports the Museum of the Mississippi Delta, covering prehistory, Native American life, art, agriculture, and the Civil War.

But beyond such curated experiences, the simple art of walking and exploring can thrive in the Delta, whether it’s taking in the historical downtowns of Clarksdale, Greenwood, or other towns, or — my favorite — exploring cemeteries. To sit beside Robert Johnson’s final resting place outside of Greenwood, as dusk sets in, makes for a day trip that reverberates deep in the soul. — Alex Greene

Wilson, Arkansas

With the redevelopment and building boom going on in Downtown Memphis and other parts of town, you might be forgiven for not looking too far outside the Bluff City Bubble. But if you avert your gaze slightly, you’ll catch a glimpse of a small-city renaissance happening just 45 minutes up I-55.

The town of Wilson, Arkansas, (population hovering just under 1,000) has been reborn over the last decade since the Wilson family sold its land to The Lawrence Group in 2010. The group, which has experience running wineries and vineyards, is revitalizing the former logging and sawmill town into a Delta tourist hotspot.

Courtesy City of Wilson, AR

The Grange at Wilson Gardens

The city’s 21st-century approach is built around the Wilson Wine Experience, which includes frequent six-course thematic dinner events curated by Norbert Mede and Chef Roberto Barth. Set at different historic locations around Wilson, Mede’s keen taste for good vintages meshes superbly with Barth’s unique approach to Delta cooking.

Those with a bit more thirst can focus on one of Wilson’s weekly wine tastings, and easily spend the better part of a day catching some music at The Grange at Wilson Gardens, or diving into the free Hampson Archeological Museum, which contains artifacts of the pre-Colombian people who inhabited the Delta from 1400 to 1650.

Even if wine (and it’s some good wine) isn’t your thing, there’s something for everyone in Wilson, and there’s even more on the horizon. Month by month, the city adds more activities to its roster, including a crawfish festival slated for the end of April. So keep an eye on the calendar; if you need a quick escape, it’s always a good time to visit Wilson. — Samuel X. Cicci

Categories
Film/TV Film/TV/Etc. Blog

Oxford Film Festival Announces 2021 Lineup

Reunion

The Oxford Film Festival has announced a lineup of 158 films for its 2021 edition. This year’s festival will be an online/in-person hybrid running March 24-28 and April 1-30. Last year, OFF, led by Melanie Addington, was forced to pioneer the pandemic film festival format while the rapidly spreading coronavirus pandemic made gathering in person too dangerous. This year, screenings will happen in person for one weekend, March 24-28, at a special outdoor theater created by Malco at the Oxford Commons and a drive-in at Oxford High School. Then, the films will be available virtually on the Eventive platform, which was created by a Memphis-based company.

“As we continue to prepare for next month’s film festival, we want to be very clear about the aggressive steps we are taking in order to make our film festival safe so our patrons can begin to get back to enjoying the movie going experience in the company of other people again,” says executive director Melanie Addington. “Therefore, we are being very careful with a measured approach utilizing the open-air theater we have designed specifically for this purpose—with safety always first, so we all can enjoy one of the best group of films we have ever had this year. We have spent the past year safely providing films via drive-in and will include that experience in this year’s festival. We will monitor COVID and weather concerns and will make changes as needed closer to the event.”

Among the festival’s spotlight screenings is the documentary Horton Foote: The Road To Home. The filmmakers filmed the award-winning screenwriter and playwright at age 90 to piece together the highlights of his seven decade career, which included creating the screenplays for To Kill A Mockingbird, Tender Mercies, and The Trip to Bountiful.

Oxford Film Festival Announces 2021 Lineup

On the narrative side, artist-turned-director Olivia Peace’s debut comedy Tahara deals with the confusion and exhilaration of two best friends who can’t quite decide if they’re in love or not.

Oxford Film Festival Announces 2021 Lineup (2)

OFF’s headlining throwback screening is from one of Mississippi’s greatest artists. In 1986, Jim Henson, creator of The Muppets, teamed up with Lucasfilm for a mind-bender. Labyrinth stars David Bowie as the Goblin King Jareth, who kidnaps the baby bother of ordinary girl Jennifer Connelly. The revered fantasy classic is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year.

Oxford Film Festival Announces 2021 Lineup (3)

The competition films include Jake Mahaffy’s arthouse horror Reunion, produced by Memphian Adam Hohenberg.

Oxford Film Festival Announces 2021 Lineup (4)

You can find out more about the lineup and information on passes, both in-person and virtual, at the Oxford Film Festival website.