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Nineteen Days
That's how long we were displaced.
The Local Voice office gained power on February 3, but didn't regain internet service until February 12, which rendered our office unusable. Needless to say, we did the best we could and worked remotely. Thanks to two independent contractors from Detroit, Michigan, our office is back online!
The situation with our home is a whole different scenario, but we are hopeful the lack of utilities and facilities will work out soon. Thank you to everyone who has reached out and offered help over the last three weeks of this difficult situation due to Ice Storm Fern. We appreciate you more than ever.
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The Local Voice #479 is our current issue
We do have a printed newspaper out now, The Local Voice #479 which features local entertainment news, information, puzzles, and articles we all need at during these trying times!
Please pick up a free collectable newspaper in the Oxford and Ole Miss area, or access the digital edition PDF here, which has even more pages, an additional pages of bonus content, puzzles, and puzzle solutions that aren't in the printed newspaper.
Find out what's happening around the area with Roundabout Oxford®. Looking for food specials and Happy Hours? Check out Eat in Oxford. Keep your mind sharp this winter with our Puzzle Playground.
Let us know if you can't find a printed newspaper
Scroll down, read more from The Local Voice or click here to access the digital newspaper. Our digital edition has the solutions to all our puzzles, plus additional content not found in the newspaper or on our website!
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The cover of this week's newspaper is a photograph by fantastic local photographer Jim Hendrix. Titled, "One Cold Robin", this photograph is one of many that Jim shot during the ice storm of our friendly avian population. Please check out more of his amazing work at OxPhoto.org.
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Ole Miss Sports:
Ole Miss Hall of Famer James "Jim" Poole Jr. Passes Away
James E. “Jim” Poole, Jr., 76, an Ole Miss M-Club Hall of Famer and three-year football letterman, passed away Sunday in Jackson, Mississippi.
A tight end from 1969–71, Poole Jr. was a two-time first-team All-SEC selection and helped lead Ole Miss to a 25-9 overall record and three bowl appearances during his time in Oxford. He carried on the impressive legacy of the Pooles of Ole Miss, an extraordinary family with an athletic linage like no other at the University of Mississippi, earning over 50 athletic letters, and having a street -- Poole Drive -- named in their honor. Read more
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Local Theatre:
Theatre Oxford to Present Annual Ten-Minute Play Festival
A community favorite since 1999 and one that embraces the spirit of “The Show Must Go On” despite all the recent bad weather, Theatre Oxford’s 2026 10-Minute Play Festival graces the stage of the Powerhouse February 20 and 21 with more than a half-dozen competition-winning plays. Read more
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University of Mississippi:
Ole Miss Women's Council Honors 'Home Town' Creators
Erin and Ben Napier to receive Legacy Award at March 27 event
The Ole Miss Women's Council for Philanthropy will honor HGTV stars Erin and Ben Napier, both University of Mississippi alumni and hosts of Home Town and Home Town Takeover, with this year's Legacy Award. Read more
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University of Mississippi:
Learning the Game Beyond the Scoreboard
Program helps Ole Miss students turn passion for sports into professional skills
The school recently partnered with Pro Football Focus for remote internship opportunities that allow students to combine their love of sports and statistics while building real-world skills that can help them kick-off careers. Read more
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Local Views: From the Desk of Dana Criswell
"Stop Taxing the Tools That Feed Mississippi"
by Dana Criswell
When most Mississippians think about taxes, they picture April 15 or the total at the cash register. But for the farmers and loggers who keep our state’s economy moving, taxes show up in a quieter, more punishing way—tacked onto the very tools they need to do their jobs. Read more
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The Local Voice 20th Anniversary
Flashback #5:
"Local Girls Visit Graceland Too"
by Sarah Reddick
This article was originally published in The Local Voice #155 (released May 13, 2012).
To access the digital edition PDF of The Local Voice #155, click here
“Paul is dead.” The Internets lit up with the news on a recent Monday night that Paul McLeod, owner and operator of Graceland Too, had passed away. Folks were speculating about what had happened to him, and a few Oxford residents even drove out to Holly Springs to see for themselves. They discovered 69-year-old McLeod was alive and well. Read more at The Local Voice
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Local Radio:
Thacker Mountain Radio Returns, Announces Television Deal
Thacker Mountain Radio Hour returns to live performances on Thursday, February 12 at 6 pm at the Powerhouse Arts Center.
The long-running Oxford radio show also announces that Mississippi Public Broadcasting (MPB), the show’s radio partner for 25 years, will begin filming each show starting February 19 for weekly telecast later this fall on MPB-TV. Read more
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Local Views: Lafayette County Master Gardeners
"February Garden Calendar"
by Bronwynne Bailey
Now that most of the ice is gone, it is time to think gardening! We can do a bit more in the garden and start seedlings. Read more
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University of Mississippi:
Explore Uncharted Ideas with TEDx University of Mississippi
Seven speakers set for February 20 event; registration open online
With topics ranging from groundbreaking science to frontier education, TEDx University of Mississippi invites the community to Uncharted, a TED-licensed event with seven thought-provoking speakers set for 7 pm February 20 in the Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts. Read more
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Viral Article of the Week: 10,000+ viewers and counting!
Local Views: Photo of the Week
“Clean Up in Lafayette County after Ice Storm Fern”
Photograph by Newt Rayburn
Left to Right: Jesse Robinson, Jesse Mattson (with Beef), and Mitch Olsen from Mattson Landscaping Company of Gleason, Wisconsin, with Fernando Membreno and Justin Vasquez from Top Quality Tree Experts of Houston, Texas. Both companies are subcontractors of the Lufkin Environmental Tree Removal Company who are assisting in the cleanup of Lafayette County, Mississippi after devastating Ice Storm Fern January 24 and 25, 2026. These workers are pictured here on County Road 225. The crews will be in the area for many more weeks assisting with recovery efforts.
Read more and see the photo bigger here
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Local Views: Dana Criswell
"Taxation by Annexation Is Still Taxation Without Consent"
by Dana Criswell
Municipal annexation in Mississippi has a dirty little secret. Too often it is less about “smart growth” and more about expanding a city’s taxing and regulatory footprint. A line gets drawn on a map, a neighborhood gets swept in, and folks who never asked for city government suddenly wake up owing city taxes and living under city rules. Read more
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Local Views: Dana Criswell
"Raise Taxes on Guns - MS HB145"
by Dana Criswell
Category: Dumb Bills By Dumb Politicians
HB145: This bill raises multiple sales and excise tax rates on firearms, ammunition, archery equipment, certain recreational vehicles, alcohol, cigarettes and other tobacco/vapor products and dedicates the new revenue to a permanent state fund subsidizing hospitals’ uncompensated care. Read more
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Local Festivals:
Oxford, Mississippi Announces the Line-Up for the 29th Annual Double Decker Festival
Award-winning festival celebrating food, music, and the arts to return on April 24 and 25, 2026
The music kicks off on Friday, April 24 at 6 pm with Penelope Road, followed by The War And Treaty and ending the night with country-folk band Shane Smith & The Saints. Annie & The Caldwells open the lineup on Saturday at 11:30 am, followed by The Animeros, an Austin-based trio blending Latin roots with psychedelic soul, bolero, and cumbia. Then the Mountain Grass Unit takes the stage in the afternoon, followed by UK-based rock and roll band The Heavy Heavy. Seattle-based rhythm and blues band, The Dip takes the stage before Grammy-country singer-songwriter, Margo Price. Grammy Award–winning rock band Wilco will close out the night with the final performance. Read more
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University of Mississippi:
British Scholar Ponders Why the Blues Still Matters
by Rebecca Lauck Cleary
Tom Attah blends performance and sociology
He recently moved across the pond and into a classroom teaching sociology and Southern studies at the University of Mississippi. But Attah hasn't put down his guitar completely; it's just off to the side a bit as he teaches. Attah is a researcher and internationally known musician and author, and his passion for the blues shines through in conversations. Read more
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Local Crime in Oxford & Lafayette County
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Oxford's Favorites Awards: The Townies 2026
The results are in and the people of Oxford & Ole Miss have spoken! These are the local favorites for the year 2026. Congratulations to all who won and placed. All y'all make our hamlet an exciting place to live and work!
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Please send us your news, tips, and thoughts...
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The Local Voice
P.O. Box 443
Oxford, Mississippi 38655
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