MERIDIAN – A lifelong Meridian resident who was the first member of her family to attend college rose to become vice president of operations at Meridian Community College.
Oxford Stories reporters produce The Lorraine Motel: 50 Years After the Assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

This week Oxford Stories is debuting a project called The Lorraine Motel: 50 Years After the Assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal has partnered with Oxford Stories to run some students stories this week. We hope to continue to use the project to share the stories of Mississippians and others who lived through the Civil Rights Era. Look for stories in the Daily Journal later this weekend.
Needles, anyone? Oxford therapy clinic offers unique pain relief method
When patients come to Endurance Physical Therapy in Oxford seeking pain relief, local physical therapist Kelly Shinall offers a somewhat odd form of treatment — sticking needles into her patients’ skin.
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month: Survivors and law enforcement work to prevent sexual assault
Jackson State University student Brielle Nicole Young, 19, said she was sexually assaulted in May of 2017 and knew her attacker well.
National increase in suicide rates of college students prompts UM to address issue
A national increase in suicide rates of college students have prompted University of Mississippi administrators to review ways to adequately address this issue and provide resources to students with mental health concerns.
More than 1,000 college students are lost suicide annually, and colleges are Sending Silence Packing
It can be as slick as a snake in the grass or as obvious as an elephant on a freeway. It can happen in an instant, but will impact others for a lifetime. More than 1,000 college students die from suicide annually.
UM organization combats Mississippi’s rank as second highest in adult obesity
Mississippi has the second highest adult obesity rate in the nation, according to The State of Obesity: Better Policies for a Healthier America released August 2017.
Oxford leaders work to make public transportation more accessible for elderly and physically challenged residents
The city of Oxford hopes to improve the Oxford University Transit bus system by making it more accessible for elderly and disabled residents.
Olive Branch church undergoes sanctuary renovation after winter weather causes flooding

OLIVE BRANCH – Winter is finally coming to an end in 2018. However, the incredibly frigid temperatures have been destructive. Longview Heights Baptist Church is in the midst of a full sanctuary renovation after falling victim to the freezing January temperatures.
Pinelake Church set to expand with growing college presence
Church, for a long time, has been painted as a stuffy building where you stand when you’re told, bow your head when it’s time, and sing the songs on the screen, but not loud enough for your pew neighbor to hear you.
Some still smoke despite known health risks, smoke-free campuses and cessation programs
In August 2012, the University of Mississippi became part of a nationwide campaign among colleges that bans smoking on campuses and offers cessation help. Even still, some student-smokers under duress of potential fines that negatively impact their financial aid see this policy as a huge downside.
Ole Miss student has a family tradition of tennis and competition

An Ole Miss senior journalism major and member of the women’s tennis team is competing in her last collegiate semester. Natalie Suk, a native of the Czech Republic, is a leader on and off the court who is continuing her family’s tennis tradition.
Uber driver is known as the mom of the Oxford community

In the age of apps and cell phones, we can send a text in a second and see faces from thousands of miles away with the tap of a touchscreen. We can even get from point A to point B with the use of an app.
University of Mississippi grad talks Star Wars, Black Panther and nonfiction writing
University of Mississippi senior Brittany Abbott had not planned to attend the latest Meek School event featuring writer Jesse Holland, but the experience proved serendipitous.
Farm to School Program freshens up Oxford’s cafeterias
School lunches are a well-known weekday horror – rubbery hotdogs, cardboard-like pizza. Some students may believe the meal could crawl right off the tray.
Mississippi passes one of the nation’s most restrictive abortion bills
Mississippi passed a bill Tuesday that would ban abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. HB 1510, or the Gestational Age Act, will make Mississippi have the most restrictive abortion practice in the country.