Area Breaking News

  The Clinton High School Arrows celebrated their 2026 Homecoming with festivities that included a parade down Arrow Drive. At the game, the Homecoming Court was introduced at halftime, with Jehoshabeth Vargheese named Homecoming Queen. Alana Turner and Kimora Leflore were named Homecoming Princesses.   All photos by Tammie Stephens  

  Dr. Bill and Carole West have made a lasting impact on Mississippi Christian University (MC) through their generosity and support of the Institute for Southern Storytelling, expanding opportunities to highlight the South’s culture and creativity.     On Saturday, Oct. 31, the Wests will return to MC to receive the 2026 Award of Excellence…

The Clinton Courier   On October 8, Hinds Community College President Dr. Stephen Vacik announced that the Eagle Ridge Golf Course on Hinds’ Raymond campus will be closed at the end of this year.   In a letter announcing the decision, Vacik said the course has long been a part of college and community life.…

By Sherry Lucas   Law student Bailey Morton of Clinton recently took the oath to serve as a summer intern with Mississippi Court of Appeals Presiding Judge Virginia Carlton.   Morton spent the summer conducting legal research for the Court of Appeals while learning more about the work of the appellate courts.   Judge Carlton,…

  Special to The Clinton Courier   The National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC®) recently announced that three seniors at Clinton High School have been named as National Merit Semifinalists in the 72nd annual National Merit Scholarship Program.   Seniors Annabel Crane, Jack Tracy and Aashrita Cheruku are in the one percent of high school students…

Keep Clinton Beautiful has earned the 2026 President’s Circle Award from Keep America Beautiful, recognizing the organization’s commitment to keeping Clinton clean, green and beautiful. The recognition is awarded to affiliates of Keep America Beautiful, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to improving and beautifying communities across the United States. To achieve President’s Circle status, affiliates…

  Throughout Mississippi Christian University’s (MC) 200-year history, students, faculty and staff have devoted their time and resources to serve the surrounding community through various initiatives. On Tuesday, Oct. 27, the MC Student Government Association, along with several partner groups, will host a special “MC Day of Service,” which organizers hope will become an annual…

  Northside Elementary School, the Clinton Public School District’s second- and third-grade school, recently celebrated Homecoming week with dress up days, including themes of “Arrow Pride,” “Colors,” “Hats and Silly Hair,” “PJ Day” and “Rock Star Day.”   All photos by Tammie Stephens  

By Randy Bell   Mayor Will Purdie expects the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) to endorse the measures Clinton is taking to address what Purdie calls “a long-standing issue” with its sewer system.   In a letter dated September 10, an MDEQ case manager gave the City thirty days to provide a written response…

  Special to The Clinton Courier   Mississippi Christian University’s yearlong bicentennial celebration is set to culminate in MC’s 2026 Bicentennial Homecoming, when hundreds of alumni, students, faculty and staff will gather Thursday through Saturday, October 29 through 31, on the Clinton campus.   Jake Donald, MC director of alumni and family engagement, said attendees…

  Billy Morehead, professor of accounting in the School of Business at Mississippi Christian University, has been elected vice-chair/chair-elect of the Mississippi Society of Certified Public Accountants. Morehead, who serves as director of MC’s Master of Accountancy (MAcc) program and the Center for Faith, Service and Ethics, was elected to the position during the MSCPA’s…

  By Randy Bell   As Clinton police look for more ways to help keep Clinton a safe community, Chief Ford Hayman asked for and received Board of Aldermen approval to spend just over $8,000 to lease three more automatic license plate recognition units (ALPRs).   Hayman told the Board October 6, “We have used…

  By Dan Fazio   When Clintonian Ryan Groves learned he had been named the Military Friendly® Veteran of the Year, his first reaction was disbelief.   “There are a lot of Veterans doing incredible things across the country, so to have my name selected was pretty humbling,” he says.   Then came a second…

  Special to The Clinton Courier   Almost eighty Clinton High School alumni representing classes from 1952 to 2020 gathered on Friday, September 11 for the Fall CHS Alumni Quarterly Luncheon. Fifteen alumni were counted as first-time attenders. Participation has been steadily growing since the initial luncheons in 2017.   Bob Turcotte (CHS ’52) anchored…

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24   The Clinton YMCA will host its annual SPOOKTACULAR from 6 until 9 p.m. The event will include a trunk or treat, petting zoo, trackless train rides, inflatables, a haunted gym, pumpkin crafts, snacks, face painting and games. Some activities and snacks will require purchase, but admission to the event is free.…

Investigation underway after fatal fire By Randy Bell Mayor Will Purdie calls a fire at Clinton’s Brookdale Senior Living facility “a great tragedy,” but is praising the community’s response. Hinds County Coroner Jeramiah Howard confirmed that an 82-year-old man and an 81-year-old woman died in the Wednesday evening fire. “To those families, please know that…

  Special to The Clinton Courier   Once again, the Clinton Public School District has earned an “A” rating in the state’s accountability system – and not only that, the district is ranked as the second-highest performing district in Mississippi.   The Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) officially approved the accountability grades for the 2025-26…

By Randy Bell   In the old days, the joke in Clinton was that you could shoot a gun down Jefferson Street and not risk hitting anyone. Times have changed. As more businesses have opened in the Olde Towne Historic District, it’s often hard to find a parking spot.   Clinton leaders admit it’s “a…

  The Briars neighborhood held its annual Neighbor’s Night Out recently, inviting their Alderman, Chip Wilbanks, City officials and local first responders to join them for fun, food and fellowship.   All photos by Tammie Stephens  

Mississippi Christian University (MC) launched the most ambitious capital campaign in its history during the Bicentennial Gala on Sept. 29, inviting the MC family to help position the institution as a national leader in Christian higher education for the next 200 years. MC President Blake Thompson said “Rise to 200: The Bicentennial Campaign for MC”…

By Sherry Lucas   The Haunting of Olde Towne (H.O.O.T.) brings Halloween family fun to Lions Club Park, with a frightfully festooned landscape and treats galore on Thursday, October 29.   The event is scheduled for 6 to 8:30 p.m. Each year, an estimated 500-plus people — parents and guardians with their little ghosts, witches,…

Special to The Clinton Courier   Holy Ghost Missionary Baptist Church will celebrate the first-year pastoral anniversary of Pastor Jimmie Dale Burse Jr. and Lady Kimberlye Burse on Sunday, November 1, at 1:30 p.m. The celebration will be held at 203 West Northside Drive in Clinton.   This year’s theme is “Faith Causes God to…