Category: Uncategorized

To many people, grocery shopping is a dreadful experience. Fighting for limited parking and racing carts through crowded aisles doesn’t appeal to busy mothers or stressed-out college students. Wal-Mart and Kroger have been offering online grocery pickup and delivery with a massive number of customers taking advantage of this. Since the pilot opening in Denver in 2013, over 1,200 Wal-Mart stores now offer free online pickup services where customers can go on the website, select the produce of their choice with their desired pickup time and highly trained personal shoppers fill the orders. Nationwide, Wal-Mart online grocery pickup serves more than 140 million customers a week. As for Kroger, their first launch of the online pickup service was in Cincinnati in 2015.

In the Oxford community alone many people are turning from the traditional way of grocery shopping to online pickup, not only to save time but to save money. Online grocery pickup gives customers access to more than 40,000 items, including fresh produce and meat, pantry staples and great seasonal items from the comfort of their couch.

The local Oxford Wal-Mart has been offering online pickup since June 2018 and has plans to begin delivery services July 10, 2019.

See Story Map of Walmart and Kroger’s online pickup and delivery services below: https://uploads.knightlab.com/storymapjs/448c8d85e8d9c0ef8bd5c819d54787ab/walmart-and-krogers-online-pickup-and-delivery-in-major-us-cities/index.html

“I think the main thing we want to offer our customers is convenience. We know that people are busy, so we make it our job to cut out the hassle of grocery shopping in order for them (customers) to focus on more important things”, says Candice White, department manager for Wal-Mart’s online grocery pickup service here in Oxford. According to White, the local Wal-Mart fills 96 online pickup orders a day.

Harold Williams, lead for Kroger’s online grocery pickup and delivery service says that online pickup has been a major hit locally since its launch on July 5, 2018. The online pickup service allows busy mothers and elderly people to have a quick and easy shopping experience without even having to leave their car. A trip that would have taken two hours with kids now takes two minutes. Just sit back and relax.

As well as convenience, Kroger’s online grocery pickup service also saves money. “You are not getting additional items because you are not in the store. You save money because you only order what you need,” Williams says. Despite the $4.95 fee that is charged for the service, Kroger’s online grocery pickup saves money by cutting back on unnecessary and unwanted items that may end up in your cart during a traditional trip to your local grocery store.

Unlike Wal-Mart, Kroger currently offers a delivery service through a third party site, known as Instacart, that comes to the store to do the shopping and delivers the groceries to the customers. According to Williams, the local Oxford Kroger fills between 100-120 online orders per day with Sunday and Mondays being exceptionally busy.

So what do customers think about the online pickup and delivery services in the Oxford community?

University of Mississippi sophomores, Bella Rymer and Carli Kleinfelder, are regular users of Walmart’s free online pickup service. For Rymer and Kleinfelder the service saves them time during their busy day to day lives as college students.

“Being from California I have used online pickup for years now, so I was really excited when they began offering it in Oxford,” Rymer says. “It just makes everything so easy and saves so much time. I can just run to the store and be done with my grocery shopping in five minutes. It does not even seem like a chore for me anymore.”

The two roommates enjoy the ease of online ordering and say that Wal-Mart’s online grocery pickup has saved them money. “I feel like I always end up buying more than I should when I go searching the aisles for groceries. With online pickup, I stick to my grocery list and only buy what I need. […] No checkout aisle candy bars for me,” Kleinfelder says.

With the rise of technology in the wake of the digital age, it was just a matter of time before the mundane task of grocery shopping moved to our computers. Online pickup and delivery will only become more prominent among the ever-growing technologically dependent American society. Some people may say that these online services are taking jobs away from American citizens, since checkout workers are being replaced by the professional shoppers picking out the food for the online customer’s. Even though online shopping has become more prevalent, this is just a representation of how society is constantly changing, similar to how taxis have been replaced by Uber in recent years. Wal-Mart and Kroger are one step ahead in accommodating their customers, by realizing that the utilization of online pickup and delivery will further enhance their prosperity.

Candice White 662-234-9131
Harold Williams 662-236-9956
Bella Rymer 714-943-7440
Carli Kleinfelder 631-626-0615

 

https://storymap.knightlab.com/edit/?id=unemployment-rate-in-mississippi-by-county

ASB is the University of  Mississippi’s student government. This organization is the voice of the Ole Miss student body. With ASB Elections being held today, I want to write my next story on the person who wins the spot of ASB president (either Tom Fowlkes, Leah Davis, or Barron Mayfield). I want to write a feature story on what got them interested in the position of ASB president, what they hope to accomplish while being ASB president, how Ole Miss has influenced this person in wanting to run for ASB, etc.

Sources
Winner of the election, held today (either Tom Fowlkes, Leah Davis, or Barron Mayfield)
ASB Vice President, election held today (either Sarah Doty, Brady Kies, JR Riojas, Charlotte Shackelford, or Nick Weaver)
Those that voted for the winner and why
Maybe someone who ran against the winner and did not win

In the back row of journalism class on a spring Thursday afternoon, University of Mississippi freshman Rhylan Hillis, sits eating a rice cake with avocado. A girl with long blonde hair and a shy demeanor, Hillis is extremely interested in sports and regularly covers sports stories around the Ole Miss campus. Peering over the MacBook sitting on the desk in front of her, Hillis stares at the computer screen of her friend, trying to get inspiration. Finally, something comes over her and Hillis begins typing. The words begin spreading over the page and before you know it she is done with the assignment. Class ends and Hillis leaves.

https://cdn.knightlab.com/libs/timeline3/latest/embed/index.html?source=1V7KLcj7cWx50E-e5IzZHxTS-FsNuQOLZ6zHQH72eboQ&font=Default&lang=en&initial_zoom=2&height=

Being in the spotlight is nothing new for Philadelphia, Mississippi native and University of Mississippi broadcast journalism major, Denver Haggard. Haggard has been participating in many local beauty pageants ever since he can remember and was crowned Most Handsome of his high school in 2016. He credits his long standing passion for pageants to the famous Miss America pageant, as he was fascinated by the show as early as the age of 8.

“When I watched that first Miss America, it lit a light in me and sparked an interest. I have been obsessed ever since then. I remember people coming over to my house as a kid to watch the Super Bowl, but I watched Miss America reruns instead” Haggard said.

Haggard has served three years with the University of Mississippi’s Student Activities Association (SAA), an organization of leaders on the Ole Miss campus which involves planning and promoting various student events, and he has recently been named co-director of pageants. Before he was given his title, he served on the council for special events and later moved onto pageants, where he has now served for two years. As co-director of pageants, Haggard has the opportunity to pursue his passion by organizing and directing the annual Ole Miss Parade of Beauties and Miss University pageant.

“I can remember being at orientation and walking past the Student Activities Association table. I was always very involved in high school and knew that I wanted to be involved here, but I also knew I wanted to do a lot of other things and did not know how I would fit it all in. But, I spoke to the people and they made me feel right at home immediately. […] It was right then that I knew I wanted to be apart of SAA,” Haggard said.

Alongside Haggard, serving as co-director for pageants is Karson Thomas, a junior psychology major from Southaven, MS, who has been involved in The University of Mississippi’s SAA organization for three years. Thomas has also grown up with a love for doing pageants so SAA was the perfect place for her to get involved on campus.

“I have grown up doing pageants, and have always had a love and passion for them. My cousin is the director of pageants here at the University of Mississippi so coming into college I knew of SAA that I wanted to be a part of it in some way, so pageants just seemed like the best fit for me within this organization. Being a co-director within SAA means for much more responsibility within the committees, while allowing me to give back to an organization that means so much to me in a bigger way,” Thomas said.

Thomas says that SAA has blessed her in more ways than she can count and says serving alongside Haggard has made her experience at Ole Miss unforgettable.

“Getting to not only serve with Denver as a committee member on SAA Pageants, but now as a co-director has been the best experience. Denver brings so much joy and excitement to everyone around him, and I am so grateful that I’ve had the opportunity to serve with him. Anytime I am around him, he truly does bring out the best in me. He is so accepting and loving of everyone he meets, and I truly admire that in him. I can truly say my time here at the University of Mississippi would not have been the same without him,” Thomas said.

Thomas is not the only one who said working with Haggard has been an unforgettable experience. Haggard’s director, Landon Chapman, explained that he chose Haggard for the position of co-director of pageants because of his passion for the pageant industry and his strong personality.

“I knew that Denver was perfect for the position. His outgoing personality and the way he makes people laugh is unbelievable. He really can turn someone’s whole day around,” said Chapman.

Haggard wishes to serve as an inspiration for others and show that you can still pursue your passions despite the fast paced college lifestyle. His work ethic and determination have shown through in the words of his peers and in his already successful work with the University of Mississippi pageants. He looks forward to continuing his work with SAA during his senior year as co-director of pageants.

“I always thought that pageants were fun because I got to dress up and be on stage, but I never knew the success in a pageant could transpire into so much self confidence in both my inward and outward appearance. That’s the message I want to spread as co-director of pageants. That everyone is beautiful in their own special way,” Haggard said.

Sources: Denver Haggard: 601-663-6451
Karson Thomas: 901-490-0799
Landon Chapman: 601-988-7227

 

 

 

 

 

At the Send Silence Packing event held on Tuesday, March 19 on the University of Mississippi campus, 1,000 backpacks were laid out across the grove in hopes of starting conversations about mental health and suicide. Some of these backpacks had personal stories attached to them, which made the event much more intimate and real. Personally, I know many people willing to speak out about their struggle with mental illness, by giving a new perspective to the stigma surrounding suicide and its’ victims. I want to write a story about Ole Miss students that have been affected by suicide and mental illness. I also want to talk about the services offered by the university to raise awareness and help students struggling with mental illness and suicidal thoughts. With the Send Silence Packing event fresh on the minds of University of Mississippi students, I feel like this would be the perfect time to write about such a sensitive topic.

 

I searched the words “ole miss confederate statue” in the twitter search

I set the parameters to Mississippi and the time from yesterday-today.

I think that Seth Dickinson is a good source to use because he is an Ole Miss Law student which will give the perspective of a student on campus that knows thoroughly about the issue. He is also followed by various writers and those interested in politics.

Following the 2016 presidential election of Donald Trump, the unemployment rate in the United States has been at an all time low. In the months of September, October, and November, 2018 the unemployment rate in the United States fell to 3.7 percent, the lowest since October 1969.

Mississippi has one of the highest unemployment rates in the country, but in December 2018, unemployment rate was at 4.7 percent, the third lowest level of unemployment ever recorded in the state.

So, what is the reason behind such low unemployment rate?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, approximately 304,000 U.S. jobs were created in January 2019. Job gains occurred in several industries, including leisure and hospitality, construction, health care, and transportation and warehousing. At this rate, if industries continue to flourish, over 3.5 million jobs will be created in the United States in 2019.

The United States as a whole can credit its’ economic prosperity to states such as Mississippi who have recently broken state records for the number of jobs created. In December 2018, the number of non-farm jobs in Mississippi rose to 1,173,000, which are the most jobs ever recorded in the state.

For example, four hundred jobs will come to Blue Springs, Mississippi by the end of April 2019 as a result of Toyota expanding. A commercial kitchen equipment manufacturer, Unified Brands, is making its way to Vicksburg, Mississippi, creating 250 new jobs. Blauer Manufacturing, a company that makes clothing and protective wear for police officers and fire fighters, is also expanding to Batesville by the end of 2019, creating 125 new jobs.

Mark Henry, Executive Director at the Mississippi Department of Employment Security in Jackson, Mississippi, works to help unemployed Mississippians get jobs. MDES connects qualified employees to employers and strives to expand employment, improve work force skills, and enhance productivity in the state of Mississippi.

“Mississippians seeking jobs can use our services to build and post their resumes, perform job searches, find job hunting tips, and locate their nearest WIN Job Centers (which are located throughout the state). They can also apply for unemployment benefits through us. At MDES, we constantly strive to help Mississippians find jobs because every time a Mississippian gets a job or learns enhanced job skills, this state becomes a better place for all of us,” said Henry.

So, what do all of these jobs coming to Mississippi mean for employers?

One Oxford resident and Home Depot manager says he surprisingly has not had a hard time finding employees due to the number of jobs available in the state.

“People are always looking for jobs, so I do not think new jobs in the area will affect being able to find employees. I always have people coming to me looking for work,” he said.

“There will always be unemployed people throughout the state, but I am glad Mississippi is working to better its’ workforce and are bringing bigger companies to the area,” said the manager of the store.

If you or someone you know is looking for a job or wishing to improve work skills in the Oxford Community, contact Oxford’s WIN Job Center at 662-234-3231 or reach them by email at oxfordjobcenter@mdes.ms.gov.

 

 

In the months of September, October, and November, 2018 the unemployment rate in the United States fell to 3.7 percent, the lowest since October 1969. Mississippi has one of the highest unemployment rates in the country, but in December 2018 unemployment rate in Mississippi was at 4.7 percent, the third lowest level of unemployment ever recorded in the state. I want to compare the national numbers to those of Mississippi’s today. I will also look at statistics on different minorities and factors that contribute to unemployment rate.

Sources:
deptofnumbers.com
mississippitoday.org
ncsl.org
thebalance.com