The Mississippi Economic Council will be closed on Monday, May 26, in observance of Memorial Day and will resume normal business hours on Tuesday, May 27. From all of us at MEC, we wish you a safe and meaningful Memorial Day weekend. (fb)

Three of Mississippi’s highest-achieving high school seniors were honored with major scholarships at the 2025 STAR Student event, where $88,500 in awards were presented to top students and teachers across the state. Verena C. Bhagat, a student at Saint Andrew's Episcopal School, has been named Mississippi's TOP ALL-STAR Scholar for 2025. Verena boasts a perfect 36 composite score on the ACT, combined scores of 144 and a grade point average of 99.9941 GPA. Verena will receive a $24,000 scholarship provided by the Kelly Gene Cook, Sr. Charitable Foundation, Inc. Verena designated Sallie R. Moseley as her STAR Teacher—the teacher who has made the greatest contribution to the her scholastic achievement. Moseley has been teaching for 40 years and named STAR Teacher multiple times. Ryan Boyd Wu, STAR Student from the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science has been named 1st runner-up and will receive a $20,000 Scholarship from the Kelly Gene Cook, Sr. Charitable Foundation, Inc. Wu designated William Keith Funderburk as his STAR Teacher. Mr. Funderburk has been teaching for 26 years and this is his fourth time being named STAR Teacher. Andrew Russell Keen, STAR Student from Tupelo High School has been named 2nd runner-up and will receive a $16,000 Scholarship from the Kelly Gene Cook, Sr. Charitable Foundation, Inc. Keen designated Jonathan C. Begnaud as his STAR Teacher. He has been teaching for 14 years and has been named STAR Teacher four times. Congratulations to these students! (fb)