Author: Kerry Wilkins

NEW YORK — Singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett, who popularized beach bum soft rock with the escapist Caribbean-flavored song Margaritaville and turned that celebration of loafing into an empire of restaurants, resorts and frozen concoctions, has died. He was 76. “Jimmy passed away peacefully on the night of September 1st surrounded by his family, friends, music and dogs,” a statement posted to Buffett’s official website and social media pages said late Friday. “He lived his life like a song till the very last breath and will be missed beyond measure by so many.” The statement did not say where Buffett died or give a cause…

NEW YORK — From $300 studded headboards and $100 coffee table books to custom-made cabinets to disguise your mini-fridge, students are spending big bucks to decorate their dorm rooms, adding yet another layer to the soaring costs of college. Some are even going so far as to hire interior designers to beautify their 12 feet by 20 feet of space. Lesley Lachman, 18, planned her furnishings for her dorm room with her roommate immediately after deciding to attend the University of Mississippi back in May. The Rye, New York resident scoured websites like Pinterest and designed her room herself — with…

LAS VEGAS — A “cybersecurity issue” led to the shutdown of some casino and hotel computer systems at MGM Resorts International properties across the U.S., a company official reported Monday. The incident began Sunday and the extent of its effect on reservation systems and casino floors in Las Vegas and states including Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York and Ohio was not immediately known, company spokesman Brian Ahern said. “MGM Resorts recently identified a cybersecurity issue affecting some of the company’s systems,” the company said in a statement that pointed to an investigation involving external cybersecurity experts and notifications…

ATLANTIC CITY, NEW JERSEY — Commercial casinos in the U.S. had their best July ever this year, winning nearly $5.4 billion from gamblers, according to figures released Thursday by a national gambling industry group. The American Gaming Association said the casinos’ winnings were up nearly 6% from July 2022. The association also said the casinos remain on pace to have their best year ever in 2023, with winnings from in-person casino games, sports betting and internet gambling at nearly $38 billion over the first seven months of this year, 11% ahead of what they won during the same period in 2022.…

The intense environment of the Ryder Cup in Italy is now in the rearview. The PGA TOUR schedule is rolling on in Jackson, Mississippi with the Sanderson Farms Championship. Young phenom Ludvig Aberg is the only player who participated in the Ryder Cup to make the trip to the United States, but the second fall event in the FedEx Cup brings plenty of opportunity for young players looking to make a splash and secure their status. When: Oct. 5-8Where: Country Club of Jackson, Jackson, Mississippi How to watch DATETIMECHANNELOct. 54:00 – 7:00 p.m.GOLFOct. 64:00 – 7:00 p.m.GOLFOct. 74:00 – 7:00 p.m.GOLFOct. 84:00…

Calling numerous social science and humanities degree programs “indoctrination factories,” Mississippi’s auditor says the state should defund several college majors and invest in subjects that match the state’s workforce needs. In a report published Tuesday, Mississippi State Auditor Shad White, a Republican, argued that the state should change its approach to funding its public universities. He proposed tying public investment to workforce needs instead of providing funds without regard for the degree programs, as has traditionally been the case. Too many college graduates are leaving Mississippi, and aligning degree programs with labor market demand might stem the tide, White said. In numerous…

The former chair of Mississippi’s Democratic Party has filed a lawsuit seeking to reinstate himself as its leader, arguing that he was improperly ousted in July. Tyree Irving, a former appellate judge who had chaired the state party since 2020, was voted out by a majority of party officials at a July 6 emergency meeting. Now Irving, who had announced his resignation ahead of the vote before reversing course, says the meeting violated the state party’s constitution and should be invalidated. The petition for that meeting said committee members needed to address “the long-standing and repeated actions of malfeasance and…

BELLAIRE, MICH. — Nearly three years after authorities foiled a bizarre plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, the last defendants accused of taking part go on trial Monday. Eric Molitor and brothers William Null and Michael Null were among 14 men, described by prosecutors as anti-government extremists, charged in the scheme weeks before the November 2020 election. They were angered by Whitmer’s COVID-19 policies, which shut down schools and restricted the economy, investigators said in court filings. The plotters were members of paramilitary groups and spoke of attacking the state Capitol and police to ignite civil war, the documents…

Jackson police are searching for three suspects, including a 17-year-old, after a man was killed and a 10-month-old child was kidnapped on Wednesday, August 30. The shooting happened around 9:30 p.m. in the 3700 block of Jayne Avenue. The shooting victim was identified a 43-year-old Anthony Brown. Police said warrants were issued for 21-year-old Keyonte Charleston, 17-year-old Tristin Goodlett and 20-year-old Shanicholaus Taylor. They will be charged with capital murder, armed robbery of an individual, kidnapping, and burglary of an occupied dwelling. According to Officer Sam Brown, an investigation revealed that several suspects, who were wearing masks, kicked the back door in,…

JACKSON HOLE, WYOMING — U.S. trade has shifted away from China due to policies enacted by the Biden and Trump administrations, but U.S. reliance on China-linked supply chains has not necessarily been reduced and consumers have faced higher costs, according to new research presented Saturday at a Federal Reserve economic symposium. Despite deglobalization fears after the coronavirus pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, overall trade “has held steady at just under 60% of world (gross domestic product) rather than gone into freefall,” Laura Alfaro, an economist at Harvard Business School, and Davin Chor, an associate professor at the Tuck School…