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Friday, April 13, 2012

RAISE YOUR PINTS


Mississippi -

Beer connoisseurs are thrilled The Craft Beer Bill - SB 2878 has passed.

Gov. Phil Bryant signed into law a bill raising the alcohol by weight in beer from 5 percent to 8 percent.

The law does not change the amount of alcohol in currently marketed beers; it allows for a wider selection of imported beer. According to the Raise Your Pints non-profit organization:

"The 5% ABW limit excludes approximately 1/3 of the world's beer styles, some of them the finest, highest quality beverages on earth. Entire styles of specialty beers fall above this limitation, such as barleywine, a strong ale with a typical ABW between 8-13%. Barleywines are elegant and expensive, sometimes cellared and aged for years like a fine Cabernet. Another elite group of beers, those brewed by Trappist Monks in Belgium (considered by many to be the greatest beer in the world) is comprised almost entirely of beers above 5% ABW. These "Dubbels" and "Trippels" are currently illegal in Mississippi."

Beginning July 1st of this year, Mississippians will have access to craft beers with an alcohol by weight of 8 percent.

Butch Bailey, President and Founder of Raise Your Pints, believes that people who are interested in craft/gourmet beers will now have a wider selection of those beers.

Mississippi residents like David Campbell and Hattiesburg's Keg & Barrel owner John Neal are excited about the law change. They believe the availability of more craft beers will increase tourism and revenue to the state because people will no longer have to cross state lines to get their favorite craft beers.

For more information about the Raise Your Pints movement, visit the organization's website:

You can also follow Raise Your Pints and the Keg & Barrel on Twitter: 
Raise Your Pints: @RaiseYourPints
Keg & Barrel: @TheKegandBarrel

Follow me on Twitter: @JournalistJaunt

Day In The Life: USM Police



I spent a day with University of Southern Mississippi Police Captain, Charles Chandler.

Captain Chandler believes that the University Police Department (UPD) and the campus community work hand-in-hand to keep the campus safe.

One student, Stacey Roberts agrees that the campus is safer because of the strong presence UPD provides.

One staff member also agrees.

The multiple levels of security that the police provide give students a safe and enjoyable learning environment.

If you are a University of Southern Mississippi student or faculty member, you can join the university's Eagle Alert system for notifications about campus emergencies.

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Irish-Italian Festival: St. Thomas Aquinas



- Hattiesburg, MS

This year marks St. Thomas Aquinas' 11th annual Irish-Italian Festival. The festival is a community-wide event that brings Irish and Italian traditions to the city.

The St. Tohmas Aquinas church family begins the celebration with a parade that comes down 4th Street and ends on the University of Southern Mississippi's campus.

Following the parade, the church hosts a festival where the food, music, and fun keep going until the sun sets. With the sounds of jazz saxophonists and traditional bagpipes in the background, there are activities for both children and adults.

Father Tommy Conway, Pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas Church, says that the event gets bigger and better every year and that he looks forward to the festivals to come. Visitors also agree that it is one of the best Irish-Italian festivals that they've ever attended.

Part of the proceeds from the Irish-Italian festivities will be donated to a local children's shelter.

Smoking in Cars With Children


- Mississippi

In Mississippi, a new piece of legislation could prevent individuals from smoking in vehicles with children.

The proposed bill, SB 2016, would make it illegal to smoke in cars with children under the age of 17. The bill is proposed by Senator Frazier. 

Senator Billy Hudson weighs in on the potential piece of legislation.

Some Mississippi residents give their opinion about the bill.

Also, a Political Science professor at the University of Southern Mississippi gives her opinion on how this issue could cause conflict between Mississippi residents.


Cyber Bullying Epidemic


With the growth of social media outlets like Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, and Youtube, taunting and harassment of individuals has greatly increased. Newer social media outlets are allowing for bullies to harass their victims with a few strokes of a keyboard on any computer.

A staff member at Hattiesburg High School sits down to tell us exactly what cyber bullying is and how individuals having more access to the internet contributes to the growing epidemic.

Also, we see how one college student was forced to move from her home and change her entire life because of interactions with a cyber bully.

Mississippi's cyber bullying law does not directly outline the punishment for cyber bullying. But Lt. Prouix from the Hattiesburg Police Department encourages victims of cyber bullying to speak out to solve problems before law enforcement ever gets involved.


DREAM of Hattiesburg



I had the pleasure of visiting the D.R.E.A.M tutoring center in Hattiesburg, MS.

The D.R.E.A.M organization is nonprofit agency. The organization helps students succeed by not only helping students with homework assignments, but they also stress the importance of preventing alcohol, tobacco and substance abuse.

The DREAM organization works with local high school and elementary students. Also, they have partnered with the University of Southern Mississippi to start a campaign against alcohol abuse. Throughout the city of Hattiesburg and surrounding areas, billboards and park benches are covered with the DREAM's campaign posters which read - "party, party, party... let's not all get wasted."

The organization's goal is to promote a better Hattiesburg by inspiring the youth to take a stand against alcohol, drugs and substance abuse.

For more information about the DREAM center or to volunteer, contact the organization at  601.545.2102.