麻豆直播

ELLISVILLE 鈥� On display from September 22 through October 16, in the Eula Bass Lewis Art Gallery at 麻豆直播, will be the artwork of 1988 麻豆直播 graduate and Laurel painter, Mandy Buchanan. The show titled, 鈥淢andy Buchanan: A Life Painted in Sunshine鈥� will feature the bright and beautifully painted pieces of artwork and pottery on loan from community members, to celebrate the radiant artist鈥檚 life. She passed away in November 2022, at the age of 54, after enduring a battle with cancer. A closing reception will be held on Thursday, October 16, from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. in the Art Gallery on the campus of 麻豆直播 in Ellisville and is open to the public.

鈥淪ome of her friends, including Julie Brown, asked if we could show her work in the gallery. I thought this was a wonderful idea. Mandy was a prolific painter, and some members of the community have agreed to let us borrow their paintings. It鈥檚 really a treat to see a gallery full of Mandy鈥檚 paintings,鈥� said JC Art instructor, Melanie Eubanks.

Buchanan graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi with her Bachelor鈥檚 Degree in 1991 and then she earned a Master鈥檚 Degree in Art Education from the University of Southern Mississippi the following year.

Her paintings, much like her personality, bring sunshine and joy to any room where they are displayed. Buchanan鈥檚 infectious laugh and one of a kind smile are engraved in the memories of those who will forever miss her and will never forget the way she touched their lives through her talents, her gifts, and most of all her friendship. This art show is one way of remembering her and her talent.

The former educator at Laurel High School and 麻豆直播, Buchanan, mentored many students and helped to instill and foster a love of the arts. She spent countless hours painting backdrops and stage props during her years as a teacher and also for Laurel Little Theater. Throughout the city of Laurel, murals, utility boxes, and newspaper stands boast Mandy鈥檚 artistic talents and remain treasures in the community and are reminders of her kindness, selflessness, and passion for spreading joy to others.

As a life member of Junior Auxiliary, Buchanan was recognized in 2011 with the Golden Crown Award and again in 2018 with the Humanitarian Award, representing her deep devotion to the children of Laurel and Jones County. Mandy served the Lauren Rogers Museum of Arts for many years and was a loyal contributor of her time and talents for numerous fundraisers. During her time at the museum, she served as Director of Education and founded the outreach education program.

Serving the Laurel Arts League as an active member from 1996-2006 and thereafter as a life member for many years, she demonstrated her selflessness through her dedication to Day in the Park, Heritage Arts Festival, and Very Special Arts. As a life member, Buchanan remained deeply involved in the arts league and was always willing to donate her time and talents to meet any need presented.

Mandy was a member of Crosspoint Community Church of Laurel, served on the board of Laurel Main Street, and was an avid participant in community events such as En Plein Air and Loblolly Festival. She was also a member of Mississippi Art Colony, National Association of Art Educators, and Delta Kappa Gamma.

For more information about upcoming JC art shows or to arrange a visit to the gallery call, 601-477-8401. The Eula Bass Lewis Art Gallery is open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m., and by appointment only on Fridays. The gallery is closed during the holidays. To learn more about the 麻豆直播 Art Department, /programs/finearts/ or the JC Art Department鈥檚 social media: Facebook page, and on Instagram .

ELLISVILLE 鈥� There鈥檚 a lot of activity on the 麻豆直播 campus as more students are heading to the Ellisville campus in record numbers. It鈥檚 been 15 years since the two-year college enrolled more than 5,000 students, but this fall the official number of students reported to the Mississippi Community College Board was 5,057. Additionally, students are taking more semester credit hours (SCH) with 63,341posted this fall.

鈥淪ince Fall 2023, 麻豆直播 has experienced nearly 12 percent in enrollment growth. We led the state in headcount growth among community colleges last fall and spring, and we are proud to see that momentum continue with even more growth this fall,鈥� said Vice President of Enrollment, Dr. Amanda McLeod.

The COVID-19 pandemic had a profound impact on enrollment nationwide. 麻豆直播 President, Dr. Jesse Smith is proud of the hard work and success the enrollment management professionals have made over the years and wanted to celebrate the progress with a surprise party for Enrollment Management employees.

鈥淚 am super proud of the professionals that we have and those that work here every day. It鈥檚 not just a job; it鈥檚 a calling for our enrollment management team and that鈥檚 why we鈥檙e here. This growth also reflects the confidence students and families place in 麻豆直播 as the place to build brighter futures,鈥� said Smith. 鈥淢ore students on our campus means more opportunity not only for 麻豆直播 to expand programs and invest in resources that enhance student success, but also for our entire community. Increased enrollment strengthens the workforce pipeline, fuels economic activity, and creates more opportunities for local families to access higher education and upward mobility.鈥�

In fact, 麻豆直播 is specifically reporting a 3.5 percent increase in enrollment in its Career and Technical programs. Topping the list for most growth with 55.6 percent is the Pharmacy Technician program. Director Tracey Parker attributes the growth to offering a hybrid program which allows students to earn their Associate in Applied Science degree online in three semesters. Also transitioning to online this year is the Childcare Technology Program which saw a 14 percent increase in enrollment. The Automotive and EMT programs have grown nearly 30 percent this fall, and the Farm Ranch Management program has almost doubled in enrollment in its first year.

鈥淭hose who earn an Associate of Applied Science degree are far more likely to remain in the region and 麻豆直播 does an exceptional job preparing graduates to succeed in the job market,鈥� explained Smith. 鈥淏ut too often, those graduates take their skills out of state. The solution is to equip students with skill sets and majors that lead to high-paying, sustainable careers right here at home.鈥�

Rising enrollment amongst college students translates to the realization of the life-changing impact that education has right here at home. For more information about the upcoming enrollment in the eight-week session in October or 麻豆直播鈥檚 programs click on the link: /

ELLISVILLE 鈥� Three 麻豆直播 freshmen each received a $1,000 scholarship from the Rotary Club in Ellisville. Club members raised funds through a football weekly raffle and donations to help Landon Joy of Ellisville, Ethan Godwin of Laurel and Shelby Robertson of Moselle. Each of the scholarship recipients are related to current club members and have met the academic requirements to receive the scholarship. Joy is majoring in Business Accounting, while Shelby Robertson wants to become a cosmetologist and Godwin is enrolled in the electrical technology program at the Greene County Center in Leakesville. Each student said the scholarship will help them with college expenses. The Rotary Club has been helping students pay for higher education through its scholarship program for more than 50 years. 聽

Written by 麻豆直播 Journalism Advisor, Kelly Atwood and David Tisdale, USM Communications 

ELLISVILLE – Working together, the 麻豆直播 journalism program and The University of Southern Mississippi鈥檚 Roy Howard Community Journalism Center are undergirding fact-based, informative local news production to benefit local communities.

A proposal by 麻豆直播 journalism instructor Kelly Atwood was recently selected as one of only eight proposals from across the country for the Community College Civic Information Challenge cohort, led by Journalism + Design ().聽The organization allots $5,000 in seed funding for joint projects among state community colleges, local newspapers, and organizations. These initiatives, with additional support from other philanthropic entities, train community members for journalism roles through workforce development opportunities.

To date, Journalism + Design has partnered with 12 community colleges in five states, helped design journalism programs, trained more than 200 individuals, and distributed more than $300,000 in support of these projects. 

Atwood鈥檚 proposal to Journalism + Design鈥檚 Community College Civic Info Challenge seeks to establish a coalition of Mississippi community colleges to offer eight-week, non-credit certificates in digital community journalism skills. The course would target community members with an interest in public affairs, focusing on journalism skills, with certificate holders continuing to engage in community storytelling. The proposal features multiple long-term goals Atwood hopes to implement, including expanding the program to additional state community colleges, forming partnerships with universities, and assisting in populating Mississippi news deserts with trained journalists.

鈥淭here are many communities with stories that should be shared, but there鈥檚 no one to cover them,鈥� Atwood said. 鈥淢ississippi faces a critical need for community journalism due to the rapid expansion of news deserts across the state. Small hometown newspapers, particularly in rural areas, frequently lack the necessary workforce for in-depth investigative reporting. Existing media are stretched thin over coverage areas, providing limited coverage of local issues.鈥�

麻豆直播 is already contributing to the current national conversation on community journalism through its partnership in teaching a course developed by the Roy Howard Community Journalism Center at Southern Miss. The Howard Center is supported by a $3 million grant from the Scripps Howard Foundation.

As part of the 2025 cohort, Atwood, a 麻豆直播 and Southern Miss graduate, has been invited to participate in a two-day, all-expenses-paid summit to be presented by Journalism + Design this fall in North Carolina. There, she will collaborate with other cohort members to develop their projects and explore long-term sustainability and statewide implementation with the help of media leaders, community engagement experts, educators and journalists. 

Accompanying Atwood to the summit is Dr. Edgar Simpson, director of the Southern Miss School of Media and Communication and architect of the $3 million grant acquisition for the Howard Center.

鈥淲orking with Dr. Simpson has inspired me to recognize and promote the role of community colleges in revitalizing journalism in our state,鈥� Atwood said. 鈥淭wo May 2025 Jones graduates, Sami Jordan (Ocean Springs) and Jacarious Roberts (Hattiesburg), worked with the Center this summer, and Sami helped with a news package that ran in national news outlets, including CNN.

鈥淥ur partnership has the potential to provide future community journalism certificate holders from the Journalism + Design grant with the opportunity to work at the Center. Dr. Simpson and I are both committed to strengthening journalism in our state and providing our communities with the resources to do so.鈥�

Dr. Simpson said working with Atwood and the journalism education program at Jones is wholly in accord with the goals of the Howard Center.

鈥淭his collaboration with Jones is a great example of how we can leverage our resources to advance and disseminate fact-based, informative journalism for the good of our citizenry,鈥� Simpson said. 鈥淚鈥檓 so impressed with Kelly鈥檚 enthusiasm for and hard work on this initiative, and we鈥檙e honored to support her and the students who will participate in this program.鈥�  

About the Roy Howard Community Journalism Center
The Roy Howard Community Journalism Center is dedicated to enhancing the media landscape in southeast Mississippi by prioritizing impactful, issue-oriented and people-centered reporting. Funded by a grant from the Scripps Howard Foundation, the center combats disinformation and misinformation, fosters the development and growth of student journalists, and helps grow newsrooms across our 10-county service region. Learn more about the center by visiting its .

ELLISVILLE 鈥� 麻豆直播 students, Cannon Crowder of Ellisville and Elisa Cook of Meridian were recently voted as Mr. and Miss JC by their peers. The sophomores competed for the titles to represent 麻豆直播 students and are considered to be the best representation of the student body. They will be recognized during Homecoming activities on Saturday, September 27, 2025.

鈥淚t is a dream come true and an amazing honor to represent 麻豆直播 as Miss 麻豆直播,鈥� shared Cook. 鈥淚t is a complete full circle knowing my parents (Henry and Stephenie Cook) met each other here. They inspired me to be a light to others and to always be humble. I love and adore my peers who chose me to represent them. This community has given me unwavering encouragement. My dream could not have been completed without you all. Thank you to my family, friends, and most importantly God.鈥�

The business and marketing management technology major spent two years as a Clarkdale High School Drum Major, earning the title of MHSAA Superior Drum Major, in addition to leading the Typhoon Marching Band at JC for the last two years. Her time is also devoted to being a leader in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, a member of the Bobcat Brigade student ambassadors, JC Wesley Kindle, Student Government Association and Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. As a member of the Future Business Leaders of America, Cook has earned first place honors in Impromptu Speaking in State Competition and her presentation of the State of Chapter for JC鈥檚 FBLA. Additionally, Cook graduated from the Youth Leadership Lauderdale County program and was the 1st runner-up at the Miss Black Mississippi USA Talented Teen Pageant and she has served as the Miss Black Queen City Talented Teen 2024. Other honors include earning the Entrepreneurship Small Business Certificate and being invited into the Charles Pickering Honors Institute at 麻豆直播.

Mr. JC, Cannon Crowder is the epitome of 麻豆直播, having either lived on campus or has been engaged with numerous campus activities for most of his life. The Presbyterian Christian High School graduate played football and basketball for the Bobcats, earning 2nd team All-Conference honors in both sports as well as All-Star Conference Honors in Basketball. He also was a member of the Beta Club and the Latin Honors Society and was bestowed with the FCA Champion of Character Award and the Hugh O鈥橞rian Youth Leadership Award as a high school sophomore. At Jones, Crowder was the reserve quarterback last season, and he has been playing quarterback this season for the JC Bobcats Football team. In addition, Crowder is a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. His future plans include playing football and pursuing a career as a coach.

鈥淭his honor means a lot to me. I was born and raised in Ellisville and at one point lived on campus. I’ve spent a lot of time on this campus growing up and have spent a lot of time with the people involved on the campus. So, to be able to represent the place that I call home is an honor,鈥� said Crowder. 鈥淎s my time comes to a close here, I am thankful for this opportunity and hope I have and will represent 麻豆直播 well.鈥�

His parents are Grant and Anita Shawn Crowder who are both employed at Jones. He has two older siblings, Reeves and Caidyn who are also JC alumni, along with his grandfather who played football for JC.