A Mississippi chicken slaughterhouse put a child into a 'preventable, dangerous situation', the Labor Department has concluded - after the death of a 16-year-old sucked into a chicken deboning plant. Duvan Perez had been cleaning equipment at the Hattiesburg plant of Mar-Jac Poultry on July 14, 2023, when he was pulled into the rotating shaft of a machine and sustained fatal injuries. Perez, originally from Guatemala, had been hired to work at the slaughterhouse by a recruitment firm - despite it being illegal for under 18s to work at a meat processing plant. His death caused widespread outrage, and on Wednesday the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) - a division of the Department of Labor - issued their report, finding a litany of errors and recommending $212,646 in penalties. They also highlighted two previous deaths at the company's facilities since 2020, and accused the company of complacency and recklessness.

McCarty was born on March 7, 1908, in Shubuta, Mississippi. She was raised in nearby Hattiesburg by her aunt and grandmother. McCarty, who never married and had no children, lived frugally in a house without air conditioning. She never had a car or learned to drive, so she walked everywhere, including the grocery store that was one mile from her home. When she was 8 years old, McCarty opened a savings account at a bank in Hattiesburg and began depositing the coins she earned from her laundry work. She would eventually open accounts in several local banks. By the time McCarty retired at age 86, her hands crippled by arthritis, she had saved $280,000. She set aside a pension for herself to live on, a donation to her church, and small inheritances for three of her relatives. The remainder—$150,000—she donated to the University of Southern Mississippi, a school that had remained all-white until the 1960s. McCarty stipulated that her gift be used for scholarships for Black students from southern Mississippi who otherwise would not be able to enroll in college due to financial hardship. Business leaders in Hattiesburg matched her bequest and hundreds of additional donations poured in from around the country, bringing the total endowment to nearly half a million dollars. The first beneficiary of McCarty’s largesse was Stephanie Bullock, an 18-year-old honors student from Hattiesburg, who received a $1,000 scholarship. Bullock subsequently visited McCarty regularly and drove her around town on errands. In 1998 the University awarded McCarty an honorary degree. She received an honorary doctorate from Harvard University, and President Bill Clinton awarded her the Presidential Citizens Medal. McCarty died of liver cancer on September 26, 1999, at the age of 91. In 2019 McCarty’s home was moved to Hattiesburg’s Sixth Street Museum District and turned into a museum.

x

When I returned to the Free State of Jones in 2021 after my years of worldly travel, my first order of business was to start an experimental punk band. It hardly took any time for people (Dan Brewer) to compare my exploits to those of the then-defunct group GATORFIGHT. Immediately I knew I was destined to see this band, although they were broken up, and they entered a space in my mind reserved for performances of heroic legend (for example, the slaying of the Nemian Lion, the Jimi Hendrix Experience, etc.)

In person, they more than lived up to my expectations. Their set was deconstructive, daring, experimental, and hilarious. Their final piece, “The Ballad of Scotty Potty” was particularly resplendent. My eyes were glued to the stage, mesmerized, I tried and failed to guess what to expect from the singer’s monologue. It was vile, it was sick, it was Lovecraftian, and I loved every minute of it. GATORFIGHT not only pushes the boundaries of decorum, but of genre. Is this punk rock? (Is New Wave punk rock, for that matter?) I urge you to listen, watch, and decide for yourself.

There are few times in the average person’s life which can be described as a transcendental experience. Jesus had his cross, Buddha had his tree, in the 60’s all them hippies had Woodstock, and I saw GATORFIGHT.

Check them out on Bandcamp here.

Untitled (Hattiesburg, Mississippi, Freedom Summer), 1964

Photo: Herbert Randall

SR train, engine number 6924, engine type 2-8-2 Northbound freight train; 10 MPH. Photographed: at Hattiesburg, Miss., July 30, 1936.

Abita Pecan Ale (Picked up at Corner Market in Hattiesburg, MS). A 2 of 4. Definitely get quite a bit of pecan sweetness, although this is definitely on the lighter side of things -- a thin body and some caramel and roast sweetness alongside the pecan. Almost no bitterness to speak of in the body, and this is a bit sweeter than expected. Not bad, but not to my taste.

it is more about fame and money than ever before, be happy with the life been given and be aware of the life you chose. nothing is going anywhere. love your community, family, and friends. doing events in my hometown always gave me a good feeling...

Love Conquers Fear, Art Exhibit

Hattiesburg, Mississippi 2016

“But my plans took a skid when I smoked the whole lid and wound up where I’d begun.” - Jimmy Buffett.

Hattiesburg, MS.

Silver Compass Journal’s Holiday Gift Guide coming in the next issue of the newsletter. Subscribe here.

New Orleans is obviously quite famous so no surprise but seeing the name of Hattiesburg, MS, somewhere I’ve been several times, in a suicide squad animated film is surprising.

Oh, I think I found the real exit.

Asia Nicole Martin, 19

Last seen in Hattiesburg, Mississippi in 2005.

BTS with Shop Noble Nest owner and maker painting a Hattiesburg, MS College Town Wall Art.

Chandeleur Carnival Cake Ale (Picked up at Corner Market in Hattiesburg, MS). A 2 of 4. First, it’s tempting to give this a very low rating because it is so weird -- cream cheese doesn’t belong in beer, really. Second, it grows on you a bit. The cinnamon, vanilla, and various citrus help balance it a touch, but the cheese is hard to get past. It’s one thing to have a sip or two of this -- it’s interesting and probably worth trying, as it’s a lot packed onto a relatively simple base beer. Beyond that, it’s hard to get through a can.

MISSISSIPPI Skull Shirt by United Skulls America - Link in bio #usa #unitedskullsofamerica #unitedskullsamerica #unitedstates #skull #skulls #skullshirt #skullart #clothingbrand #skulldesign #mississippi #mississippiskull #jacksonms #gulfport #hattiesburg #biloxi #mississippitattooing (at Mississippi) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cm_3clTuYwA/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

life hits differently when you grow up.

"love conquers fear" art exhibit

downtown hattiesburg, ms. 2016

Benjamin Rauhala ( @brauhala ) Instastory/TikTok. Izzy McCalla had the Hattiesburg MS audience singing along to "How Far I'll Go" from Moana. How special.

"Disney Princess - The Concert" is traveling the US thru December. Get your Tix now at: