Good morning, Hattiesburg.

A local woman prayed over students heading back to school—she hoped the prayers would bring safety and a strong start for the new school year.

Mount Vernon Missionary Baptist Church in Petal hosted its second Youth Empowerment Back-to-School event Saturday — offering more than 200 free backpacks with school supplies, hamburgers, hot dogs, games, and activities for children as families prepared for the new school year.

Family Farmers Market is in its third week—drawing local shoppers with fresh produce and local goods.

Organizers plan to keep the market running to support local families and agriculture.

First responders from Lamar and Forrest counties hosted an inaugural Sensory Day in Petal that allowed children with sensory sensitivities to color on a fire truck, use a water hose on a fake fire, and play in sensory bins (local sponsors and county boards helped support the event). The departments said they plan to hold the event twice a year to offer more inclusive activities for families.

Registration for the HPD PAL afterschool program begins Monday, July 28 at Lt. Ben McNair Recreation Center from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. through July 30 with a $50 fee for children aged eight to 13.

The program starts August 19 and runs Monday through Friday from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.—pickup from Hattiesburg Public Schools is available.

A new report by Stacker used Zillow data from June to rank Mississippi cities by typical home value.

Oxford and Madison led the list with values of about $401,034 and $412,306 while cities like Bay Saint Louis recorded values near $241,409 — showing a wide range in market prices.