WATER VALLEY – City officials rolled back restrictions for restaurants, making the first change in over a decade to the beer ordinance. Changes also include adding a provision to allow beer sales during permitted special events in the city’s downtown business district. The changes came during the July 1 meeting of the Board of Aldermen.…

The Community Backpack Blessing will be Sunday, July 27, at Tillatoba Baptist Church. Bring your backpack to the 11 a.m. Sunday service, and it will be prayed over to encourage youth as they start a new school year. This is open to anyone in the community; you do not have to be a member to…

We made national news in Mississippi after three trains derailed in different locations around the state last weekend. This unusual cluster started just after midnight on Friday, July 4, in Petal when a Norfolk Southern train derailed 18 cars, including tanker cars carrying denatured alcohol, which spilled. The second derailment followed on Saturday, July 5,…

I’m finally back from my weeks away up north, but only by a few hours and a column deadline waits for me immediately. So, it’s a Wagner Week for the Wagner fans out there! I’m eternally grateful to the Wagner letter writers for all they’ve done for me (without their permission and surely against their…

If you’ve noticed some folks from the Chamber and the Herald office walking around town with an extra spring in their step holding a giant glass of sweet tea, it’s probably not just the July heat. That’s the sound of relief and celebration—because the Watermelon Carnival program book is finally finished and officially on its…

• 10 Years Ago, July 9, 2015 – Excitement is building as 24 candidates are competing in four heavily contested supervisors’ races in the August 4 Primary Election. This week’s edition of the Herald contains input from 20 supervisor candidates responding to a questionnaire jointly sponsored by this newspaper and the Water Valley Business Alliance…

I hope everyone had a very happy Fourth of July. We had a wonderful time with our church family. We met at Bro. Grant Coffey and Leigh Anne’s for a cookout and to swim in the pool. We shot fireworks. It was an amazing time of fellowship. To me, it wasn’t even as hot as…

If you were at last year’s Watermelon Carnival Street Dance, you already know the truth: once just wasn’t enough. By popular demand (and we mean demand), Joe Austin and The Tallahatchies and Doctor Zarr’s Amazing Funk Monster are headed back to the stage on Friday night, August 1, ready to turn Central Street by City…