Sound Off: October 23, 2026

Sun Herald readers weigh in on local and national topics. A humanitarian? Something is seriously wrong when Steve Witkoff, our country’s Russian Special Envoy, is calling Putin a humanitarian. This is just another example of our President’s long infatuation with the Russian dictator, going back to his belief in Putin over his own FBI in Helsinki in 2016. Voting Regarding voting, it’s not difficult to discern between humanitarians and self-seekers among politicians. It’s common sense, not rocket science. However, certain questions persist: who is right and who is wrong, or are both sides correct, or are both sides incorrect? Is there a balance? Great care I recently sought medical care at good ol’ Keesler AFB Emergency Room and with a grateful heart I say to all the medical staff, thank you. The good folks on the 4th floor treated me like royalty. I cannot praise them enough for the professional, courteous and caring way in which they took care of this old retired chief. My Air Force remains in good hands. And a personal thanks to Dr. Russo and the cardiology department May God bless you all. Endorsements Why do people even listen to celebrities for political advice? Are they

$60 million defense expansion breaks ground in Pascagoula

PASCAGOULA, Miss. (WLOX) — A $60 million expansion in the defense industry is underway on the Mississippi Coast. Officials from Jackson County, the Navy and Australia gathered in Pascagoula for a groundbreaking ceremony. Fairbanks-Morse held the groundbreaking Tuesday for its newest expansion to the Bird-Johnson Pascagoula Naval Propulsion facility.

Residents push for action as new plan cuts Pearl River bridge project cost

PEARLINGTON, Miss. (WLOX) — Pearlington residents are calling for faster action on five closed U.S. 90 bridges that have cut off a direct route to Louisiana for four years, as transportation leaders say they have found a way to fund the replacement. The East Pearl River Bridge is one...

HAPPENING TUESDAY: Officials discuss Hwy 90 bridge replacement plan in Pearlington

The Pearlington bridge has been closed for more than four years, cutting off a direct route between Pearlington and Louisiana. Parker Boyd explains more.

Pascagoula’s 1920s history on display at Krebs Cemetery Tour

Budweiser Clydesdales to visit South Mississippi for the holidays

OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss. (WLOX) — The famous Budweiser Clydesdales are bringing holiday cheer to the Mississippi Gulf Coast with several appearances planned this December. The eight-horse hitch will pull the iconic Budweiser beer wagon during stops in Ocean Springs, Bay St. Louis, and Gulfport. “The Clydesdales are such an...

Mississippi Songwriters Performing Arts Center takes shape in Gautier

GAUTIER, Miss. (WLOX) — Construction continues at the Mississippi Songwriters Performing Arts Center in Gautier, where crews installed the first of several windows Wednesday near the stage area. One of the window panes weighs about 600 pounds. Crews will next focus on painting and installing air conditioning as the...

$2M South MS skatepark would be state's biggest. But will it get built?

Thirteen-year-old Keegan Schloss has spent the past two years learning to skateboard in Biloxi. When he saw Jackson County’s recently unveiled plans for a permanent skatepark in St. Martin, its size caught him off guard. “I was shocked. I mean, I expected it to be nice, but, like, not that big,” Keegan said. The proposed park would cover about 20,000 square feet, potentially making it the largest skatepark in Mississippi. But the county still needs an estimated $2 million to build it. For Coast skaters, the project would provide something many have spent years asking for — a permanent concrete place to skate.

$35.5 million grant awarded to modernize 121-year-old Escatawpa River swing bridge

Mississippi Export Railroad has been awarded a $35.5 million grant through the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Railroad Administration’s Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Program. The funds will support the Advancing Mississippi Export’s Resiliency, Infrastructure & Capacity Across the Network (AMERICAN) project, which will modernize and automate...

Push underway to preserve Ocean Springs land as green space

OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss. (WLOX) — A push is underway in Ocean Springs to protect an area on Front Beach from development. The land along Porter and Front Beach has been eyed for condo development in the past. Some community members want the city to help them find a way to preserve it as green space for the public to enjoy.

Officials urge caution as Stone County enacts burn ban

STONE COUNTY, Miss. (WXXV)- Stone County is now under a burn ban as dry conditions continue to drive up the risk of wildfires. The ban is currently set to remain in effect through November 2. WXXV News 25’s Brynne Baxley spoke with state and local fire officials about what you...

Pearl River County District accountability grades

The Mississippi Department of Education released accountability grades for the 2025-2026 school year, with Pearl River County achieving an average score of 92.1.   These ratings are based on a […]

Mathews: Our Coast's mayors are laying groundwork for regional growth effort

Coastal Mississippi is an amazing region. It’s a collection of thriving coastal communities, each with its own sense of place. At the same time, it’s an economic engine for our state with enormous future potential. Over the past six years, I’ve had long, aspirational conversations with mayors here on my radio show . Biloxi’s FoFo Gilich , Moss Point’s Billy Knight , Pass Christian’s Kenny Torgeson , Gulfport’s Hugh Keating , and others. These aren’t scripted chamber breakfasts. They’re deep conversations about the hard stuff like infrastructure that doesn’t fix itself, growth that has to be smart, budgets that don’t stretch far enough, and the daily work of making each city better and safer for the people who live there. Every one of these mayors is in the trenches. They grind in their own cities while also recognizing, more than mayors used to, that a rising tide in one place lifts the others. That is the conversation the Gulf Coast Business Council has been evolving around, and it is the right one. It is the conversation we have sometimes struggled to elevate across the region, except for that time after Hurricane Katrina when we all came together. The Business Council

New mobile clinic brings health care to Moss Point

MOSS POINT, Miss. (WKRG) — A mobile clinic is now available in the Moss Point, Mississippi area. Singing River Health System officials said the new clinic can be a primary care provider, provide checkups, and provide specific care to patients who need it. It will be in the East Jackson County Services complex once a […]

Ingalls Shipbuilding awarded $99 million for Zumwalt-class destroyer

PASCAGOULA, Miss. (WLOX) — Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division has been awarded a $99 million contract modification from the U.S. Navy for critical testing and upgrades to the Zumwalt-class destroyer Lyndon B. Johnson (DDG 1002). “This award reflects the Navy’s continued confidence in the Ingalls team...

MDOT projects make headway in southeast Mississippi

PINE BELT, Miss. (WDAM) - Southern Transportation District Commissioner Charles Busby has announced updates to several Mississippi Department of Transportation projects in south Mississippi. “This is an exciting time in southeast Mississippi as we begin to see many months of hard work pay off as large projects reach significant milestones,”...

HAPPENING MONDAY: Coast counties under burn advisories

Over 30 counties across the state are currently under burn ban advisories. Tyler Bell explains which ones on the Coast are affected.

Pearlington residents, business owners push for bridge replacement plan

PEARLINGTON, Miss. (WLOX) — The Pearlington bridge closed more than four years ago, cutting off a direct route between Pearlington and Louisiana. “We feel the weight over here. It’s overwhelming,” said Michael Mavenyengwa, owner of Pearlington Rocket Express. Mavenyengwa’s business sits just steps from the bridge. He...

Biloxi City Council delays vote on water rate increase

BILOXI, Miss. (WLOX) — The Biloxi City Council is continuing to weigh options for a water rate increase. A proposal discussed last week called for residential water rates to increase by 30 to 50 percent, while business rates would rise by 17 percent. On Tuesday, council members tabled a...

Robin Roberts connects virtually with South Mississippi students

HARRISON COUNTY, Miss. (WLOX) — Robin Roberts made a virtual call to students in the gifted program at West Wortham Middle School on Tuesday. Roberts got her start on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, working at WLOX in the 1980s, before becoming an anchor for Good Morning America in New York.