All posts filed under: HEALTH & WELLNESS

Taylor Goode suffers from a seizure disorder, and doctors have sent him home as a hospice patient. His mother, Jennifer Potts, is interested in experimentally treating her son with cannabis oil, derived from marijuana, to see if it will improve his condition. A Mississippi law passed this year has enabled the creation of cannabis oil as a form of treatment for patients with seizure disorders. (Photo by LaReeca Rucker)

Taylor’s Oil: New Mississippi law could lead to experimental marijuana cannabis oil treatment for children plagued with seizure disorders

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It has been three years since Taylor Goode has spoken to his mother — three years since she’s heard the sound of his voice. And sometimes she cannot bear to look at photos of her children when they were young and thriving.

“I usually get upset, so I don’t get them out a lot,” she said. “I miss it and want it back for them so bad.”

But Jennifer Potts is thankful that both of her boys are still alive and with her. “I know things can get worse,” she said. “These two kids have every right to be whiny, complaining and ill, but they are never down. So I try to stay positive and in a good mood, because they are.

Meet Hume AI’s Empathic Voice Interface (EVI), a system designed to hear what you say and understand how you feel. You can try it by visiting the Hume AI website.

AI With Empathy: How Hume AI’s Voice Interface is Redefining Human-AI Communication

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If you’ve ever watched a science fiction movie like 2001: A Space Odyssey or seen episodes of the classic Twilight Zone, you’ve likely caught a glimpse of a future where humans verbally communicate with intelligent machines.

The infamous HAL 9000 from 2001 became a cautionary tale of AI independence. Yet, while that vision seemed far off, today, a more sophisticated—and empathetic—version of talking AI is already here.

Meet Hume AI’s Empathic Voice Interface (EVI), a system designed to hear what you say and understand how you feel. You can try it by visiting the Hume AI website.

A white car at the scene of an accident.

We have freedom, but we’re not independent

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I have been a journalist for 25 years. In fact, this year marks my 25th year of being in the journalism industry in some area, starting in college at a local radio station and later as a paid intern at a newspaper. This also marks the 20th year of my college graduation.

In the last 25 years, I have covered a variety of stories, including homicides, fires and car accidents. I was good at establishing trustworthy relationships with law enforcement, but I have never really enjoyed covering spot news.

A woman sits in nature writing in a notebook.

Living a life of gratitude can change your perspective on the world

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Gratitude has attracted a lot of attention from psychological researchers in recent years in the field of “positive psychology.” It examines topics like quality of life, virtues, character and happiness, said Stephen Southern, professor and chairman of the Mississippi College Department of Psychology and Counseling.

“One day, I thanked my dad for always staying calm even though he raised three girls,” she said. “Last night, I had a rough day at work, and I said I was thankful for beer,” she laughed. “But I try to be thankful for things that have made a difference in my life. Doing the updates really makes you think about it every day.”

Actress Sela Ward leads a charity called Hope Village.

From Meridian to Hollywood and Back: Sela Ward’s mission to help Mississippi’s kids

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Before she was a crime-solving DNA expert on “CSI: NY” or winning Emmys for “Sisters,” Sela Ward was just a barefoot kid growing up in a quiet Meridian, Mississippi neighborhood — riding bikes, swimming in lakes, and sneaking into caves with friends for pretend séances.

These days, she still returns home — not just for family, but for a cause close to her heart: Hope Village for Children, the residential care facility she founded in 2002 for Mississippi kids in the foster system who need a safe place to land.

A photo of a computer screen with a love letter email.

An afterlife e-mail – Brandon woman receives message from late husband

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To most people, Missy and Ross Parker had the kind of love story that sounded too good to be true. They met at church, served together in ministry, and built a joyful blended family of six. Every morning, they’d read the Bible, speak affirmations, and spoil each other like lifelong honeymooners.

Ross, a Mississippi College graduate and longtime Boy Scout leader, lived to serve — fixing things for friends in secret, helping with Habitat for Humanity, and leading divorce recovery sessions at church with Missy.

A photo illustration of a girl and her horse.

Getting back on the horse

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Near the end of the school year at Brandon’s University Christian School, the art teacher gave his first-period students large canvases, leftover paint, and the freedom to go at them Jackson Pollack-style.

Danielle Parkman, 14, dipped her hands in color and splattered it against the white, tossing pink, blue and red across the rectangle. Then she threw it on her friends, who laughed and retaliated until, pretty soon, everyone was engaged in a colorful, carefree mess of creativity.

Movies starring Brittany Murphy.

Remembering Brittany Murphy: Underrated performances and the tragic loss of a rising star

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Brittany Murphy was one of those rare talents in Hollywood — versatile, magnetic, and utterly unforgettable. From her quirky comedic timing in “Clueless” to her raw emotional range in darker dramas, she had a screen presence that drew you in, no matter the genre.

And beyond acting, she had another gift: a beautiful singing voice that audiences only got a small taste of, most notably through her voiceover work and musical performances in “Happy Feet.” I always believed Murphy had a long, diverse career ahead of her — possibly even a future on Broadway where she could blend her acting and vocal talents.

Lifecasts of blues musicians created by a Delta artist.

Blind artist preserves Mississippi blues legends through powerful face casts

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When Sharon McConnell-Dickerson began to lose her vision in 1995, she faced a difficult truth: her life would never be the same. But in the darkness, she discovered something unexpected — art.

That discovery eventually led her from New England to the Mississippi Delta, where she would spend more than a decade capturing the soul of the blues, not through sound, but through sculpture.