Jackson Free Press

Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves met with Louisiana Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser, both Republicans, in Cleveland, Miss., today to talk tourism.

The lieutenant governors met with members of the Mississippi Tourism Association to discuss tourism possibilities in the area and between the two states. The Delta Regional Authority is working with both Louisiana and Mississippi to promote the Mississippi River Geotourism Project, which will work on making the Delta a tourist attraction as well as create a website in coordination with National Geographic to to help tell the story of the longest river in North America.

Reeves and Nungesser toured the Grammy Museum while in Cleveland, one of the area's newest tourist attractions. The museum opened in March 2016, and it features not only exhibits but also a theater. Both lieutenant governors also praised development around the museum, including construction of the new Lyric Hotel in Cleveland, which will be a luxury hotel featuring a four-star restaurant, special event venue and spa.

“Our two states share a deep connection in so many areas, whether its food, music, history or a love of the outdoor sports,” Lt. Gov. Reeves said in a press release. “Through tourism, we can highlight the contributions of our talented citizens to these areas and grow the economies in our towns.”

Education topped the talking points at the Women's Foundation of Mississippi annual meeting on Thursday. Laurene Powell Jobs (Steve Jobs' widow), Donna Barksdale and Toni Cooley discussed education at national and statewide levels. Jobs is passionate about transforming the educational system in the U.S., and she recently launched a project called XQ: The Super School Project, a project to reimagine high school structure and design by engaging students in the conversation. The XQ project came to Jackson this week, which was why Jobs was in town.

Jobs, Barksdale and Cooley discussed philanthropy and the importance of funding in education. Initiative 42 was discussed and promoted, and Jobs said she supported the Mississippi citizen-driven initiative because funding public schools is necessary for them to leap frog to the place they need to be.

"Everyone in this room should commit to passing Initiative 42," Jobs said.

Jobs said passing Initiative 42 is a tangible way for the community to get involved in education in Mississippi. Jobs' XQ Project focuses on rejuvenating the old high school model, rethinking classroom structure and models.

"If we're going to condemn the system, we ought to understand the system," Jobs said.

Jobs emphasized that students need the ability to be lifelong learners and creative thinkers. Jobs, Barksdale and Cooley discussed the importance of education, particularly for women. Donna Barksdale's husband, Jim Barksdale has donated to pass Initiative 42 and attended the annual meeting on Thursday.

Walmart is closing six Walmart Express stores in Mississippi, all located in the northern part of the state in small towns. The store closures translate to about 180 lost jobs, but the national corporation said its main focus is to take care of the associates, offering them the option to transfer to nearby Walmart or Sam's Club stores. The Walmart Express stores in Belmont, Mantachie, Sardis, Walnut, Derma and Nettleton will close on January 28.

Walmart spokeswoman Anne Hatfield said that some associates will stay on in the Walmart Express stores until all inventory is removed by the second week of February. Associates that have not transferred will be paid for an additional 60 days, and those associates that have been with the company for a year or longer also have a severance option. Walmart is getting rid of most of the Walmart Express stores nationally, and to compensate for potential food shortages in communities where the stores are closing, Walmart will donate $3,000 to local food banks, Hatfield said.

On a more positive note for Walmart workers, all hourly employees can look forward to a wage increase of $10 per hour as long as they have been with the company since Jan. 1. Workers who started work after Jan. 1 can complete a training program in order to watch their wages jump to $10 per hour. The pay raise goes into effect on Feb. 20. Hatfield said that this is a part of Walmart's commitment to investing in their associates and doing things to ensure their employees are happy and engaged with their work. 2016 is Walmart's second year of a $2.7 billion investment in its workers.

108 Mississippi United Methodist pastors have released an open letter endorsing Initiative 42. The letter states that each signing pastor's position on the upcoming ballot initiative stems from John Wesley's passion for meeting educational needs even in 18th century England and Jesus' command to let the "little children come to me." Bruce Case, head pastor at Parkway Hills Methodist Church, helped craft the letter and send it out to pastors throughout the state. Pastors were invited to respond and sign their name to the letter, and it took Case less than a day to collect over 100 signatures. Case said they could have collected more signatures, but wanted to get the letter out due to timing.

The full letter has been produced verbatim below:

A Letter from 108 Mississippi United Methodist Pastors:

As Mississippi United Methodist pastors serving in rural areas, county seats, and large towns all across our wonderful state, we are compelled to speak out on behalf of our children and Mississippi public school education.

John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement, was passionate about providing all children access to educational opportunities in 18th Century England. He opened libraries, published reading material for children, and founded schools that served impoverished children. He believed every child—regardless of gender or economic background—deserved the opportunity a quality education provided.

Because we believe that every child in Mississippi has a right to a great education, we will be voting in favor of Initiative 42 when we go to the ballot on November 3. Initiative 42 will require our legislators to follow our state law and fully fund public education based on the MEAP (MAEP) formula. Our Legislature has failed to honor this law nearly every year since its adoption (by our legislature!) in 1997.

We are disappointed that politicians have added 42-A to the ballot. 42-A will confuse thousands of people who are trying to make an informed decision regarding our children’s well being. Please be advised: 42-A is simply a vote for the status quo. What is the status quo?

-Since 2008, the state budget (excluding federal funds) has grown by 35% while K-12 education's portion of the state budget has grown by 2.47%. -MS ranks 47th in per student funding out of 51 (including District of Columbia). -Mississippi ranks last among our neighboring states in per student funding.

The status quo limits our children; it limits our state; it deprives all of us of economic stability.

We can rise above the status quo! We can begin to work together to ensure every community in our state has a school with high-quality facilities, full of teachers and students who have all they need to succeed. Initiative 42 will be a much-needed step in the right direction for K-12 education in Mississippi.

We strive to be faithful to Jesus’ high calling in the communities we serve, and we can think of no higher priority in God’s Kingdom than our children. Jesus said: “Let the little children come …