Good morning, Hattiesburg.

Southern Miss hosted its Culture Food Fest on campus today, offering a wide variety of global dishes along with music and interactive booths by student groups to build community connection.

USM’s annual Student Art Show is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. until April 10 at the George Hurst Building — featuring juried work in drawing, painting, sculpture and digital art that shows students’ creative growth.

Mississippi shows a stark pay gap as women earn 75 cents for every dollar earned by men, with deeper gaps for Asian, Black & Latina women, per the National Women’s Law Center.

USM professor Mammina cited past job roles and weak union support for decades of unequal wages.

The University of Southern Mississippi will lower its general education credit requirements in the upcoming academic year from 35 to 30, reducing science, humanities and lab hours to help students graduate on time — officials say the changes also ease scheduling challenges.

Mississippi lawmakers approved House Bill 1944 to add $6M to the tax-credit program for private and special-purpose schools (Children’s Promise Act), enabling donors to receive up to $24M in credits starting next year.

The bill reallocates funds so foster care groups get $9M while private and special-purpose schools share remainder.

Southern Miss requires new students to take UNV 100, a pass/fail course meeting weekly during the first eight weeks of the semester to develop skills in campus resources, writing, and communication; the class builds academic habits and fosters belonging (supporting a strong college start).

Several locations in the Pine Belt offer free tax prep help before Tax Day.

Hattiesburg residents can visit CE Roy Community Center (300 E. 5th Street) on Monday and Tuesday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., while other centers serve clients with different hours and deadlines.

NASA Stennis Space Center in Hancock County is preparing an RS-25 engine for an Oct.-19 hot-fire test as part of upcoming Artemis II missions.

Space enthusiasts recently toured the renovated B-2 test stand to see preparations for upper-stage engine testing.

Southern Miss lost a 5-1 baseball game to Southeastern Louisiana on Tuesday at Pete Taylor Park after the Golden Eagles struggled to hit early, and they will next face Old Dominion in a three-game series in Virginia.

Christone 'Kingfish' Ingram - The Hard Road Tour

7:30-9 p.m. — Hattiesburg Saenger Theater — $43.30- $74.25 — Experience the dynamic sound of blues with Kingfish's innovative musical journey.

Downtown Crawfish Jam 2026

10:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. — Walthall Park — $40-$50 — Enjoy live music and all-you-can-eat crawfish at this family-friendly festival.