🌱 Child Care Payment Program Changes + 6,000 Received Debt Relief

Hello, neighbors! It's me, Nicole Fallon-Peek, your host of the Jackson Patch newsletter — back in your inbox with all the most important things happening in town.

But first, today's weather:

Couple of showers, t-storms. High: 87 Low: 66.

Here are the top three stories in Jackson today:

1. The Mississippi Department of Human Services has scrapped the child support cooperation requirement for parents and guardians receiving child care tuition assistance via the Child Care Payment Program. The goal of this policy change is to enhance access to quality child care, assist parents in joining and staying in the workforce, and bolster K-12 readiness. Through the program, eligible parents and guardians receive tuition assistance and have the flexibility to select a suitable childcare provider. (WJTV)
2. The Public Service Loan Forgiveness program offers debt relief to professionals in public service roles. Eligible participants must make 120 monthly payments before their remaining debt is forgiven. In Mississippi alone, around 6,000 borrowers have been granted debt relief, contributing to the nationwide total of approximately $42 billion in loan forgiveness facilitated by the program, as reported by the US Department of Education. (MPB Online)
3. The son of Cindy Lassiter Mangum has asked Governor Tate Reeves to revoke the potential parole of James Williams III, who was convicted of killing his mother and step-father. The family held a protest outside the Governor's Mansion, urging Reeves to overturn Williams' parole. They expressed concerns that Williams, who is set to be released due to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling allowing parole for those who were sentenced as minors, is a threat and they believe he will harm someone else if released. (CBS 42)

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Today in Jackson:

• Easton Corbin At Pelican Cove Grill (6:00 PM)
• Ballet Mississippi Spring Performance At Belhaven University Center For The Arts (7:30 PM)

From my notebook:

• Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack held a stakeholder conversation in Jackson, Mississippi, to showcase the USDA's Delta Regional Food Business Center and foster partnerships for enhancing the food supply chain infrastructure in the Delta region. The center aims to assist food and farm businesses in accessing new markets and strengthening the resilience of the supply chain. (QA Magazine)
• As part of the upcoming "Moonlight, Music, and Meteors" event on May 19, Solar System Ambassador Paige Anderson from Meridian, MS will be hosting a Space Trivia table. The trivia categories will cover various topics such as planets, moons, stars, galaxies, and NASA missions, offering a fun and educational experience for participants. (Mississippi Museum of Natural Science via Facebook)
• The Cathead Jam music festival is scheduled to be held at Cathead Distillery in Jackson on Jun. 2-3, with headlining acts including The Flaming Lips and Shakey Graves. Tickets are currently available for purchase. (Music Festival Wizard)

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Featured events:

• T-Mobile Tuesdays: Get Delighted Every Week (May 16)
• Mississippi Antique Alley Road Sale (May 18)
• Add your event

You're all caught up for today. I'll see you back in your inbox tomorrow with a new update!

— Nicole Fallon-Peek

About me: Nicole Fallon-Peek is a journalist and copywriter with a degree in Media, Culture and Communication from New York University. She has served as a freelance reporter, managing editor, copy editor, and editorial director for a variety of B2B news outlets. She currently co-owns and operates content creation agency Lightning Media Partners.