Highway Safety Push: George County supervisors backed a coordinated state-and-federal study for Mississippi Highway 26, citing narrow shoulders, aging bridges, heavy trucks, and recent washouts along the Louisiana line to Lucedale. AI in State Work: A new Mississippi inventory finds 243 active or planned AI projects across 44 agencies, mostly low-risk, with DOT and environmental agencies using tools for data work and drafting while stressing human oversight. Kratom Warning: After two University of Mississippi student deaths, authorities found packaged kratom in separate investigations and urged students to avoid unprescribed products; Lafayette County has restricted kratom sales since 2021. Nuclear Startup in Bywater: Applied Atomics, founded by former SpaceX engineers, is setting up a headquarters and training center in New Orleans’ Bywater to build small modular reactors. Rural Health Tech Grants: Mississippi begins distributing the first round of rural health funding—$104M+ for technology upgrades and telehealth—under a federal program. Workforce Pressure: Mississippi Business Alliance reports workforce availability is the top growth limiter for many employers. Cyber/Power & Infrastructure: Data-center backup power is flagged in a health-risk report, while local energy outage concerns continue to surface in town halls.