Business News for the Mississippi Delta

Feature & Special Section Archives

Sarah Rose Lomenick

Instrumental Member of the “2nd Chance” Team As Program Director of 2nd Chance MS in Oxford, Sarah Rose Lomenick gets to follow her “lifelong passion”

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Billy Johnson

Fourth generation Delta native, Billy Johnson, the President of the  MS Wildlife Heritage Museum, Leland Blues Project Director, and Highway 61 Blues Museum curator, is

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David Smith Construction

Family Owned and Operated  Headquartered in Inverness since 1976, David Smith has been serving the Delta’s construction needs. But in 1983, Smith was looking to

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Colleen Buyers

By Lyndsi naron Colleen Buyers, Founder of Shared Experiences in Clarksdale, is changing the way the world looks at the agriculture industry. Raised in both

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Illusions & Accessories LLC

Computer Service, Security Equipment and Much More  By Catherine Kirk For the past twenty-five years, Illusions and Accessories LLC in Greenwood has grown into a

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Boss Fox Estate Sales

Delta Couple Have Become Known As Experts By Jack Criss Cleveland residents and husband and wife, Bob and Wilma Wilbanks, are pharmacists by training and

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Courtney Phillips

By Becky Gillette Growing up in Moorhead, one of nine children of the late Dr. A.M. Phillips and his wife Jaquie, Courtney Phillips, South Sunflower

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Candi Stone

Reporter and Anchor at  WABG in Greenville By Faith Strong When Candi Stone started with WABG in Greenville ten years ago, she did weekend weather.

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Sprout 

Greenwood Boutique Offers a Great Selection for Babies, Toddlers and Tweens By Leanna Miller Sprout, Greenwood’s newest Childrens’ store, opened its doors this past March. 

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Lusco’s to Open in Taylor 

Long-Time Greenwood Establishment to Begin New Chapter By Becky Gillette Lusco’s in Greenwood is one of the oldest restaurants in Mississippi continuously owned and operated

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Young Ideas

Serving the Delta for Fifty Years By Mark H. Stowers They both came from families with a long tradition of retail and customer service in

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Hickock-Waekon

Long-time Manufacturer of Diagnostic Equipment  By mark h. stowers For the past 100 years, Greenwood-based Hickok Waekon has been in the business of developing and

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Hugh Warren IV

By Mark H. Stowers • Photography By Johnny Jennings Hugh Warren IV is making a difference in the Delta.  The fourth generation Greenwood native, Cruger

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Amazon Wind Farm

Major Economic Boost for Tunica County By Becky Gillette The new Amazon wind farm under construction by AES in Tunica County is not only the

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Hopson Hospitality

Longtime Clarksdale Entity Under New Ownership By Catherine Kirk When Clarksdale natives Tate and Chelsea Antici graduated from college and moved to Nashville, Tennessee, it

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Justin Burch

By Mark H. Stowers South Mississippi native Justin Burch was named the Executive Director of the Washington County Economic Alliance this past May. The nationally

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Onward and Upward 

By Brad White Your Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) starts the new state fiscal year strong thanks to the hard work of the men and

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Joe Stinchcomb 

Successful Businessman and Equitable Entrepreneurship Advocate By Becky Gillette Joe Stinchcomb got into the food and beverage industry after graduating from the University of Mississippi

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AccelerateMS Serves the Delta

By Jack Criss Kimberley Jones-Gatewood Heads Ecosystem 3 “Mississippi will have a world-class workforce with unlimited, quality career opportunities to create sustained individual, community and

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Douglas Freeze

New regional leader in workforce training, economic development by Jack Criss DBJ Contributing Writer Mississippi Delta Community College (MDCC) named Douglas Freeze as its new

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Lisa Cookston

Lisa Cookston, a native of Greenwood, was named Executive Director of the Museum of the Mississippi Delta this past January.  Cookston spent her youth visiting

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Tornado Relief

Rolling Fork Tornado Devastation Brings Massive Government and Private Help By Becky Gillette The images of Rolling Fork before and after the EF4 tornado that

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Train Derailment

Leflore County Farm Still Contaminated Eight Years After Event  By Becky Gillette The February Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, released hundreds of

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Entergy’s Cook-Nelson 

Oversees Nuclear Operations for Three States By Jack Criss Kimberly Cook-Nelson was named Executive Vice President of Nuclear Operations and Chief Nuclear Officer of Entergy

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New Cyber Unit

Bobby Freeman Named Director By Jack Criss Director Bobby Freeman was selected as director of the Mississippi Cyber Unit within the Mississippi Office of Homeland

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Dodie McElmurry

Delta Native Working to Make a Difference in Rural Healthcare  Dodie McElmurray, RN, MSN/ MBA, grew up in rural Belzoni, got a nursing degree from

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MVSU Highlights

University Supports Students on Multiple Career Paths  By Becky Gillette The eighth president of Mississippi Valley State University in Itta Bena, Dr. Jerryl Briggs, Sr.,

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Cook Coggin Engineers, Inc.

Longtime Company Opens Delta Office By Jack Criss  Cook Coggin Engineers, Inc., a well-respected professional firm with a long, firmly-established base in Northeast Mississippi, has

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Mortimer Funeral Homes

Second Generation of Service By mark h. stowers The Mortimer family were once in the agricultural business, farming catfish, cotton, and soybeans. But in the

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Dr. Butch Caston

Interim President is DSU Through and Through By Jack Criss •  Photography by Campbell Saia Dr. E. E. “Butch” Caston began serving as the interim

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Inflation Reduction Act 

Legislation Opposed by All Senate Republicans By Becky Gillette Agriculture is taking a huge hit from drought, extreme heat, flooding and other impacts that scientists

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Dynamic Washing Solutions

A True new business opens in Clarksdale By Jack Criss Dynamic Washing Solutions, started by entrepreneur Ford True, just recently began operations in True’s hometown

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Indianola Electric Company

40 Years of Electrical Knowledge and Skill By Angela Rogalski For forty years, Indianola Electric Company has been ensuring that customers in the Delta have

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Delta Row Crop Update

Harvest Well Underway and Looks Promising By mark h. stowers Delta row crop farmers have had their usual battles with mother nature, insects and the

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Luke Chamblee

Taking the Hospitality Industry to Another Level By Jack Criss • Photography By Holly Tharp Luke Chamblee has become somewhat of a hotel magnate, with

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Gary Worsham

By Mark H. Stowers • Photography By Beverly Thompson When the crappie are biting, Gary Worsham’s job gets easier. As the Executive Director Grenada Tourism

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Skelton Photographie

Creating Those Perfect Wedding and Family Memories By Angela Rogalski Since she was a child, Elizabeth Skelton has always loved taking pictures. However, she became

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Fuller Center for Housing

Clarksdale Organization Provides for Those in Need  By Jack Criss • Photos courtesy of The Fuller Center Gramm Phillips, Affiliate/Covenant Partner Coordinator for the Clarksdale

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Tunica Voice

Veteran Journalist Launches Newspaper By Jack Criss A longtime newspaper journalist has brought local news back to a Delta community that had been without a

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Joe Azar

By Mark H. Stowers  Joe Azar has mixed the best the Delta has to offer to create sweet economic development across the Magnolia State. These

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Betsy Alexander Realty

Greenville Agency Has Been Serving the Delta Since 2007 By Angela Rogalski  Betsy Alexander Realty, located in Greenville, is a full service real estate agency

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Proposed Bike Trail

A Dream Could Create an Economic Boost  By Jack Criss • Photography by Johnny Jennings Greenwood native and current Vicksburg-based attorney, Wilson Carroll, is an

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MS Teacher Pay Raise

Compensation Will Aid Retention By Becky Gillette The historic teacher pay raise approved by the Mississippi Legislators in mid-March is something that educators, economic developers

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Charles Finkley Jr. 

By Mark H. Stowers  Born, raised and educated in Alabama, Charles Finkley Jr. has made a home in North Mississippi helping bring jobs and opportunity

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Bank of Anguilla

Small bank making a big difference By Jack Criss Andy Anderson has been with the Bank of Anguilla since 1983. He is now the CEO

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Mississippi Day

Inauguaral event to be held at the University of Mississippi in April By Jack Criss On Saturday, April 9 from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.

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Childcare Challenges

The “Workforce Behind the Workforce” By Becky Gillette The first obligation of parents is to make sure their children are taken care of. But when

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Dudley Barnes

By Mark H. Stowers  A career spent helping Delta folks successfully plan for their financial future has kept Dudley Barnes busy. The Clarksdale native, Coahoma

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Yazoo Backwater

EPA Decision Halts Construction of Pumps By Becky Gillette There was light at the end of the tunnel. Now it is dark again. That is

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John Murry Greenlee

President of BankPlus in Yazoo City What was your first job? I farmed with my father for three years after graduating from Mississippi State University.

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Amanda Johnson

By Mark H. Stowers  Beginning her educational career in the Delta with Teachers Across America, Amanda Johnson found her calling. The Little Rock, Arkansas native,

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Lindsay Jones

Tunica County Prosecutor What was your first job? Working for Tucker, Selden and Tucker law firm in Tunica during the summers in college. Education  I

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Steve Azar

By Mark H. Stowers   It’s said that some folks sing the praises of the Delta, but Steve Azar has literally done this his entire

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Staplcotn Turns 100

Successful Cotton Marketing Cooperative for a Century By Becky Gillette Only one half of one percent of American companies survive to celebrate their 100th anniversary.

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Tunica Airport

Helping Grow the Area for Two Decades By mark h. stowers The Tunica Airport, a general aviation service airport with no national carriers, has been

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IRS Overreach?

Proposal would hurt community banks, has privacy issues By Jack Criss A recent IRS data collection proposal to increase tax information reporting requirements on financial

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Eola Hotel Set to Reopen

Delta developer takes role in Natchez project By Jack Criss Yazoo City businessman and developer, Hayes Dent, is part of a developing team–one of whom

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Battle Sod Farms

Providing Superior Customer Service By Aimee Robinette Tunica native Paul Battle IV knows just how much greener the grass is on the other side. The

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Delta Overland

Experience. Explore. Eat. The Mississippi Delta By jack criss Entrepreneur Stewart Robinson is passionate about creating memorable Delta experiences and sharing them with visitors from

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Bio Green Exterior Cleaning

Using Advanced Technology to Provide Superior Results By Aimee Robinette Bio Green Exterior Cleaning is an innovative company that utilizes a new concept of soft

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Workers Needed

Lack of Labor Greatest Concern for Catfish Growers By Becky Gillette Some people could be under the impression that cheap imports of fish that might

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Small Delta Towns

By Austin Barbour All of us are biased about “our generation” and “our childhood”, and candidly, I’m no different. From the time I was 10

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Ben Lewis

By Mark H. Stowers • Photography by Staci Lewis Growing up in Washington state, Ben Lewis didn’t know anything about the Mississippi Delta. But, when

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Dr. Curressia M. Brown

Chair of the Department of Business at Mississippi Valley State University Education I am an educational product of the Meridian Public Schools, Rust College in

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Webster Franklin

By Aimee Robinette To say Franklin Webster is an interesting transplant/native son would be an understatement.  Born in Bad Kreuznach, Germany, Webster, the president and

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Katie Tackett Mills

By Mark H. Stowers Growing up on a family farm in Sunflower County, Katie Tackett Mills never wandered too far from the Delta dirt.  A

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Gun Demand High

But Shortages Still Remain An Issue By Jack Criss With the ongoing pandemic, the election of 2020 and a new president, gun sales have reached

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Key Solutions

A Top-Notch Computer Business  Serving Customers Accross the Delta By Aimee Robinette The entire world has changed over the last year, incorporating more technology, and

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Best Hands Mobile Service

Keeping the Delta looking clean! By Jack Criss If you’ve recently spotted a sparkling clean office building, car or just about anyplace that looked particularly

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Zoe Coffee Co.

A perfect place to enjoy a sip and support ministry  By Aimee Robinette  It is jokingly said humanity runs on coffee, and while that may

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Richie Moore

By Charlotte Buchanan   Richie Moore is General Manager of the Public Service Commission of Yazoo City.  He is a native of Yazoo County. He

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Lisa Konupka

Interactive Marketing Manager, Tunica Convention & Visitors Bureau What was your first job? My first job was working as a cashier at Winn Dixie when

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2020 Port Update

Mississippi River Ports are a vital part of the region’s agricultural industry  By Mark H. Stowers  The Mississippi River remains an efficient and valuable means

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Danielle Morgan

By Charlotte Buchanan   Danielle Morgan, Executive Director of Visit Greenwood, was born and raised in Yazoo City. Her enthusiasm for the Delta shows in

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The Village at Madison

Major new development taking shape By jack criss The Village At Madison is a new $50 million, eighteen-acre development in Madison County containing forty-six residential

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Heaton Pecans

Family-Owned and Operated For Over Forty Years By Angela Rogalski Heaton Pecans in Lyon, started out as a peach stand, but in 1975 Bill Heaton,

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Medical Marijuana

Ballot Alternatives Could be Confusing to Voters By Becky Gillette Mississippi could join thirty-four other states in legalizing medical marijuana if voter Initiative Measure No.

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Robyn Marlow

By Charlotte Buchanan   “Take me to Ruleville,” an advertising slogan for North Sunflower Medical Center has become one of the best known and often

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Laura Beth Strickland

By Charlotte Buchanan  •  Photography by Ashley Gatian Laura Beth Strickland is a native of Vicksburg and is Executive Director of the Vicksburg Convention and

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Crown, Cork and Seal

Unique Beverage Industry in Panola County By MARK H. STOWERS Food, soft drinks and shaving cream all have at least one thing in common—they come

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Scott Barber

By Charlotte Buchanan Scott Barber is a native of New York, has lived in Germantown, TN for the past eleven years, but spends each day

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Cheryl Thornhill

 By Charlotte buchanan Photography by Richard Beattie Cheryl Thornhill is a native of Hattiesburg but has lived in Greenwood for the last ten years. Thornhill

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Amtrak To Stop in Marks

The “City of New Orleans Route” passenger Amtrak service from Chicago to New Orleans hosted by Canadian National will soon be making­ daily stops in

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A Different Clarksdale

New Leadership, New Faces, New Businesses By Greta Sharp  •  Photos by Austin Britt If there is one word that characterizes today’s Clarksdale, it’s new.

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Henk van Riessen

Delta Precision Technologies, LLC By Susan Montgomery Henk van Riessen’s one of those lucky people who grew up understanding what his vocational field would be.

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Remembering Bill

By Scott Coopwood, Publisher, Delta Business Journal On Tuesday, (March 28), veteran Mississippi journalist, Bill Minor died. He was 93 years old. For those unfamiliar

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GreenTech Automotive

Future Looks Dim for Delta Plant By Becky Gillette The GreenTech Automotive (GTA) facility that has received about $4.9 million in state incentives has failed

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David Griffith

New President, Mississippi Association of Realtors Hales from Cleveland By Becky Gillette T he new president of the Mississippi Association of Realtors® is David Griffith,

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Sartin’s Soulshine

Spreading good vibes, one pie at a time     By Amile Wilson     Though not from the Delta, Mississippi restaurateur Chris Sartin spent

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Todd Donald

Welding together education at the Capps Center By Mark H. Stowers Photography by Roy Meeks   As a farm boy following his father, Todd Donald

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Delta Area Insurance

Agents work through regulations and technology to keep clients protected and happy By Mark H. Stowers   The need for insurance for business and home

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On The Horizon

Two new hotel developments will bring luxury and fun to Cleveland By Angela Rogalski Photography by Holly Tharp Two new destination hotels will be opening

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DSU Enrollment on the Rise

University boasts four percent increase Special to Delta Business Journal Photography by Rory Doyle The unofficial numbers, as of Sept. 8, were 2,763 undergraduate students

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Betty Lynn Cameron

Cameron recalls highlight of job as Greenville Main Street Director By Becky Gillette Betty Lynn Cameron recalls one of the highlights of her 18 years

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Ag Revenues

Most producers well-positioned to withstand decline in commodity prices By Becky Gillette •Photography by Greg Campbell A few years ago, ag was seeing glory days

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Incubator Network

North Mississippi enterprise centers help turn business dreams into success stories By Becky Gillette Just like baby chicks, sometimes entrepreneurs just need a little incubating.

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Haley Insurance Agency

A family owned and operated Clarksdale business By Randall Haley Photography by Randall Haley In 1973, Harold Haley set out to open his own insurance

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Boutique Air

Clear skies predicted with new carrier approved to serve airport in Greenville By Becky Gillette It has been a rocky road for the Mid-Delta Regional

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Chick-fil-A

Chick-fil-A Leader Academy Reimagining High School Leadership with Programs in Mississippi Schools By Angela Rogalski Photography by RJ Fitzpatrick Lance Reed is the owner/operator of

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