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1 month 3 weeks ago
Hattiesburg Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration have been combining their efforts for a yearlong investigation which resulted in the Friday morning arrest of a Hattiesburg man, David Walls.
Investigators conducted a coordinated enforcement operation in the 600 block of Buschman Street, arrested the 45-year-old without incident. Along with the arrest, authorities seized 90 grams of crack cocaine, eight firearms, three vehicles and more than $130,000 in cash.
By Amanda D. Lee on
1 month 3 weeks ago
Any of my friends who live out of town know that when I visit, there’s a ritual I perform every day: picking up a copy of their local daily newspaper. In fact, I don’t feel my visit is complete without a copy of that town’s daily paper to read. And I mean paper, literally, as in a print edition. Oh, I know everything is going digital these days as technology consumes every part of our lives.
By Elijah Jones on
1 month 3 weeks ago
The community is invited to experience the extraordinary musical talent of The University of Southern Mississippi’s School of Music during two special concert evenings this February. In celebration of the school’s ongoing excellence and as part of the National Association of Schools of Music accreditation site visit, both concerts are free and open to the public.
By Mike Lopinto on
2 months ago
Photo special to the Pine Belt News from Southern Miss Athletics.
Southern Miss softball head coach Natalie Poole says for the program to take the next step, performance must improve from years past.
“We’ve taken some really good steps in the program since I’ve been here,” Poole said. “But there’s some elevation that has to happen performance-wise for us to be able to do it.”
Poole, who was named head coach in the fall of 2022, enters her fourth season with a 67–82 overall record.
By DIMA MIXON on
2 months ago
Jail dockets for Forrest and Lamar counties are provided to the Pine Belt News as a public records service. Arrest records are current for the week prior to publication.
Hattiesburg Police:
Deandre Bolling- disturbing the peace in a public place
Rekita Bolton- contempt of court, probation violation
Iesha Bracy- providing false information to a law enforcement officer
Barbie Michelle Brumfield- DUI (second offense), no driver’s license, seatbelt violation
Donald Ray Carter- shoplifting (first offense), use/possession/possession with intent of paraphernalia
By Staff reports on
2 months ago
Rebecca Chandler (left) and Ginger Lowrey (right) announce the winners of the krewe competition at the block party after a previous parade.
Rebecca Chandler and Ginger Lowrey, cofounders of the Krewe of St. Catherine, joined forces in 2022 to begin what is sure to be a tradition for years to come in the Hub City. After what has become forming one of Hattiesburg’s favorite parade performance groups, the Hub City HotSteppers, Chandler was asked by Hattiesburg’s Mayor Toby Barker if she had considered doing a walking parade. Though Chandler admits it wasn’t something she’d considered, she started brainstorming ideas.
By Amanda D. Lee on
2 months ago
Photo by Amanda D. Lee, © 2026 Emmerich Newspapers, Inc.
The Pine Belt News recognizes the 2026 class of 20 Under 40. Read about Hunter White here and see the special section publishing on January 29 to read about all of this year's honorees.
By Christina Pierce on
2 months ago
The phrase “cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey” has probably been tossed about the last few days around our state. Believe it, or not, that saying supposedly comes from more than just “toilet humor.” I’m told its origin, though I’m doubtful, comes from the Napoleonic Wars where naval ships had a brass tray to hold cannonballs. When it would get cold enough, the brass would shrink quicker than the iron balls, thus making them slide off the tray and giving us one of the greatest phrases ever to describe cold weather.
By Ben Smith on
2 months ago
Photo by Amanda D. Lee, © 2026 Emmerich Newspapers, Inc.
The Pine Belt News recognizes the 2026 class of 20 Under 40. Read about Maggie Monroe here and see the special section publishing on January 29 to read about all of this year's honorees.
By Christina Pierce on
2 months ago
Photo by Jacob Brumfield, © 2026 Emmerich Newspapers, Inc.
Matthew Russo (above) during the 2025 Hattiesburg Regional (Photo by Jesse Johnson)
If you’ve been wondering where I have been over the past several weeks — the truth is I’ve been in hibernation.
No, not hibernation from the cold weather, but hibernation from distractions while I wrote the 2026 Pine Belt Baseball Preview Magazine, which you should have in your hands very soon.
Anytime we get notifications on our phones about potentially dangerous cold weather, it only means that for all of us in the South, baseball season is right around the corner.
By DIMA MIXON on
2 months ago
Photo by Jacob Brumfield, © 2026 Emmerich Newspapers, Inc.
It’s hard to encapsulate more than 40 years and 800 wins in a single moment. Yet, somehow, William Carey managed to do so.
From former All-Americans to former champions and starters from the early 1980s, generations gathered in Hattiesburg to honor their head coach, Steve Knight, for reaching 800 career wins. The school presented him with a plaque, and behind him stood lifelong Crusaders — all coached and mentored by Knight.
By DIMA MIXON on
2 months ago
The Lady Crusaders turned Clinton Gym into a fireworks show on Saturday afternoon, unleashing a dominant 86–36 blowout over Point University.
The Lady Crusaders opened on a 10–0 burst and never trailed, building period leads of 21–7, 42–17 at half, and 66–30 after three on the way to their largest home margin of the season.
By Kevin Rosiere on
2 months 1 week ago
Conville is professor emeritus of communication studies and service-learning at The University of Southern Mississippi and a long-time resident of Hattiesburg where he is a member of University Baptist Church. He can be reached at rlconville@yahoo.com.
You, along with millions of other American citizens may be wondering where those tense confrontations in Minneapolis came from. What brought those 3,000 ICE agents to the Twin Cities and the angry citizens into the streets?
Many different streams of action and policy flowed together to create the great river of violence and fear that is flowing through our nation today. Here is just one of those streams. Let me connect the dots as I see them.
By Dick Conville on
2 months 1 week ago
Part 2
Rock and roll didn’t just appear fully formed one day. It grew out of a mix of musical traditions—blues, rhythm and blues, country, and gospel—that blended in places where life was loud and real. Long before anyone put a label on it, musicians were already creating the sounds that would become rock. That’s why when people talk about how many genres rock contains, the answer is a range—thirty to fifty recognizable genres and subgenres, depending on how closely you listen.
By Cathy Eaker on
2 months 1 week ago
Jail dockets for Forrest and Lamar counties are provided to the Pine Belt News as a public records service. Arrest records are current for the week prior to publication.
Hattiesburg Police:
Maeghen Ainsworth- disorderly conduct (failure to comply with commands of law enforcement), DUI (first offense)
Jerome Lee Bolar- shoplifting
Jamaya Boyland- contempt of court
Rhyen Deshun Brisco- aggravated assault/use of a deadly weapon (three counts), shooting into an occupied dwelling
Darius Davonta Brown- probation violation, possession of a controlled substance
Jody Lee Crabtree- probation violation
By Staff reports on
2 months 1 week ago
Small lawns are easiest
Most gardeners are being faced this month, like it or not, with a hard choice regarding winter weeds in the lawn. No matter your preferred approach of weed-free, wildflowery, or doing bits of both in different areas, your lawn is changing weekly and it is time to decide and manage which way it goes.
By Felder Rushing on
2 months 1 week ago
Every possession mattered for the Pearl River men's basketball team Tuesday night as the Wildcats survived a back-and-forth showdown with East Mississippi, 76-65.
With the victory, Pearl River opens MACCC play 3-0 for a third consecutive season.
"We preach about every possession being the most important. The first possession is just as important as the last," head coach Chris Oney said. "They really mattered down the stretch. East Mississippi went to the 1-2-2 zone with three minutes to go and it caught us off guard — my guys really bailed us out there."
By Dylan Dunaway on
2 months 1 week ago
It is fitting that Bob Weir's last moments on stage on August 3, 2025 were in the throes of admiration for his years of work in the Grateful Dead. As the band always says, what a long strange trip it has been. There he was in Golden Gate Park, the site of many of the free concerts that established the Dead to the burgeoning Haight-Ashbury community in the Sixties. When the Dead originally played to the hordes coming into San Francisco from across the country, they envisioned it as their own Utopia.
By Mik Davis on
2 months 1 week ago
Left to right: Joe Campbell, MD Anesthesia; Rocco Barbieri, MD Orthopedic Surgeon; Fred Daniels, Supply Chain Manager
Forrest Health announces three team members of The Orthopedic Institute have been honored with three prestigious awards. These awards recognize individuals who demonstrate exceptional commitment to clinical humanitarian initiatives, leadership, and exceptional care and support for those who look after our patients.
By Staff Report on
2 months 1 week ago
NEW ORLEANS, La. – After nearly two months away from competition, the William Carey University swim teams made a strong statement in their return to the pool, highlighted by the Crusader men's decisive 129–97 victory over Loyola University. The Lady Crusaders split their matchups on the day, defeating Loyola 148–57 while falling to the University of West Florida 129–86.
By Kevin Rosiere on
