Archives November 2025

by Ima Phibber

Black Friday is here! It’s the most hectic day on the calendar. People flock to stores early for all the deals, and things can get crazy. It has calmed down in recent years because more people are avoiding the crowds and craziness and shopping online. You generally think of large national stores offering Black Friday deals, but many local businesses offer Black Friday deals as well. Julia’s on Main, a Valley City boutique, had multiple Black Friday sales, and things got interesting there this morning.

Julia’s on Main owner, Julia Kate Jones said, “I try to have Black Friday deals each year, and this year was no different. It’s always good to get a lot of people in the store, but never in my wildest dreams would I’ve thought things could have gotten this crazy. I’m not sure that I’ll do any Black Friday deals in the future; I don’t think it’s worth it.”

Jones promoted her new custom activewear line called Jujulime on social media for a few weeks leading up to Black Friday, and she was excited about premiering it on Black Friday. She had a good response, so she ordered a pretty sizable inventory of the new line. But, the early shoppers didn’t come for her new clothing line, they came for her Labubu dolls.

Jones said, “Recently, I watched a couple videos on Tiktok about how many people think Labubu dolls are evil. I started thinking about it, and I never really liked those ugly things. Plus, things haven’t gone very well since I started selling them; the vibes in the store have been off. So, I decided I was going to get rid of them. I did a couple posts on social media about having a 75% off sale on my Labubu dolls. That obviously was a mistake. People showed up about an hour before I opened. I didn’t know why those people were lined up so early, but I found out real quick when I opened the door.”

About 25 people were lined up outside before she opened. When she unlocked the door at 7:00 am, she was almost knocked down by the stampede of women. Jones added, “Those crazies made a beeline to the Labubu dolls. I put a 3 item limit on them, but one lady tried to buy 5. Two grandmas got into a shouting match. I go to church with both ladies, and I was shocked. They were not using Sunday school words. Two younger ladies both grabbed the same doll box, and they ripped it apart. The doll fell on the floor, and a scuffle ensued to grab the doll. I was just standing there with my mouth wide open.”

Jones said, “I was so excited about my new clothing line, Jujulime. It’s a great alternative to Lululemon, Vuori, and other high end activewear brands. It’s feel great, and it’s much more affordable. But, all the air was just let out of my balloon with the chaos. There were a few ladies looking at the Jujulime clothes, but they left when the chaos happened. One psycho lady knocked 2 of my clothing racks over trying to grab a Labubu. I couldn’t believe it.”

Jones considered calling the police, but she didn’t. The ladies eventually settled down after a few minutes. Jones added, “One good thing is that the Labubu dolls are gone. I guess I’ll have to hire security if I do Black Friday deals next year. People are just crazy. Anyways, y’all come check out my Jujulime line!”

by I. B. Lyon

It made national news on October 28th when a truck transporting rhesus monkeys had an accident on I-59 in Jasper County. The story captivated the people of central Mississippi for days because multiple monkeys escaped and were on the loose. Initially, authorities said there were 3 monkeys that had escaped, and supposedly the last “free” monkey was captured on November 1st. People joked on social media that there had to be more escaped monkeys, and they were right.

Strong River Bend (SRB) police were called to the Dollar General yesterday at approximately 5:30 pm. A shopper reported seeing another shopper walking throughout the store with a monkey on leash. The police arrived a few minutes later, and the shopper with the monkey was checking out. The officer asked the shopper to leave his items at the counter and to come outside the store. The officer questioned the individual and took him and the monkey into custody. Valley County Animal Control was called to get the monkey, and they arrived about 20 minutes later to handle the monkey.

The individual with the monkey was George Goodall. Goodall was initially charged with possession of an escaped lab monkey, but he was released after questioning. I was able to talk with Goodall, and his story is unbelievable.

Goodall said, “Let’s start from the beginning. My cousin lives in Jasper County close to where the wreck happened and the monkeys escaped. The next day, one of the monkeys showed up at his house. He said it looked scared and hungry, so he fed it. He called me because I’ve joked many times about having a monkey as an emotional support animal. I drove over to see the monkey, and we immediately formed a bond. I took him home with me, and I started training him to be an emotional support animal.”

Goodall added, “I didn’t plan to let anyone know, but he was doing so well. I got Kong potty trained, and he stopped being aggressive toward me and my dog. So, I needed to go to Dollar General to get some Little Debbie Christmas tree cakes and some sweet tea, and I decided I’d put him on a leash and bring him with me. I planned to get in and out quick so no one would put up a fuss, but I wasn’t able to do that. I’m worried about Kong. What are they gonna do with him? I know I don’t have a monkey permit or license, but I really want him back.”

One witness and Dollar General shopper said, “I had to do a double take when I saw the guy walking around with the monkey. I thought I was in a dream. The monkey was well-behaved, and he wasn’t making any noises. He did try to take some of the snacks, but the guy grabbed them and put them back. Then, the cops showed up, and they were gone. That’s just a normal day at Dollar General right?!”

Valley County Animal Control was planning to hold the monkey until authorities decide what to do with him. However, Kong escaped from the animal control specialist as he was transporting him from the vehicle to the animal control facility. So, Kong is on the loose again! Anyone who spots Kong is urged to call the Valley County Sheriff’s Dept. or the Valley County Animal Control office, and authorities are warning people to not approach Kong. Rhesus monkeys can be aggressive and dangerous.

Valley County Animal Control refused to provide a comment on the situation. The monkey saga is not over after all!

by Ima Phibber

It’s November, so that means football season is nearing its end. Football fans have been gathering in The Grove, The Junction, in Hattiesburg, and Friday nights at high school games cheering on their teams this fall. The tailgating, festivities, and games call for many pictures, especially for the females. They have to get dressed to the nine and post their pics to Instagram, Tiktok, Facebook, and LinkedIn. The many group pics calls for a fairly new phenomenon called the sorority squat.

The sorority squat was invented by sorority girls to fit more people into a picture. People on the front row do a cute knee bend or squat, and that allows for people on the back row to be seen in the picture. It has become a fixture in the pictures of young ladies these days. Many times, there is no need for it, they just do it because they think it’s cute and fun.

Dr. Kye Alfa-Kapa, a local orthopedist at The Valley Medical Center, is warning people, especially young ladies, about the perils of the sorority squat. Dr. Alfa-Kapa said, “I’m seeing more and more ladies with leg injuries caused by the sorority squat. Most of the cases are knee injuries, but I’ve seen some quad, calf, and hip injuries as well. I’m not sure what is causing it, but it is troubling. Many times, extra weight can cause issues with joints and leg injuries, but the ladies I’ve seen that have been injured from the sorority squat are not overweight.”

Dr. Alfa-Kapa added, “I have a few theories on the sorority squat injuries. I think these shakes and teas ladies are buying at these “nutrition shops” could be a cause. What is in these drinks, and what are they doing to the tendons, ligaments, and muscles? These GLP-1s like Ozempic and their side effects could be a cause as well. Botox could potentially be a cause too. I think climate change may even be a cause. I do know that more study and research needs to go into solving the issue.”

Dr. Alfa-Kapa is recommending that ladies do plenty of leg workouts like squats and lunges to strengthen their legs. He recommends starting out light to prevent any leg injuries, and he recommends to start working out in the summer to prep for the long football season in the fall. He also recommends that ladies over 50 not even attempt the sorority squat; he feels the risk is not worth it.

I talked to a few young ladies about Dr. Alfa-Kapa’s recommendations. One sorority member at Ole Miss said, “I think Dr. Alfa-Kapa Delta or whatever is full of it. I have seen one girl get injured from the sorority squat, but it was because she was drunk and wearing heels. Me and my girls are gonna keep squatting, and he can jump in a lake.”

One high school cheerleader said, “I haven’t heard of anybody getting hurt from the sorority squat. My mom did catch a bad cramp one time when she did it, and she went down to one knee and had to be helped up. I love doing it. I do it all the time, even when I don’t have to. All us girls thinks it’s cute for pictures. Who cares what the doctor said? I’m gonna keep doing it.”

by I. B. Lyon

Convenience stores (c-stores) in the South and in The Valley are much more than just c-stores and gas stations. Many serve some of the best food you’ll ever put in your mouth. I’ll take my local convenience store’s food over any fancy restaurant any day of the week. But, some stores are much more than that; many are the cultural centers and “water coolers” of their community. A lot of c-stores have a core group of mostly older gentlemen that meet daily at the store to drink coffee, gossip, talk politics, and tell lies.

The Bend Corner Store is the cultural center of Strong River Bend (SRB). It’s a busy c-store at the intersection of Hwy. 31 and 81, and it’s a happening place. It has a group of 6-7 retired men that hang out there every morning to drink coffee and gossip. They were nicknamed the “Gossip Gang” by a customer. You’ll hear them talking to customers that they know, and they’re always bantering back and forth with each other and customers. Unfortunately, their founding member, Larry Ledbetter, passed away a couple months ago.

Lyin’ Larry, as he was affectionately known, had been a fixture at The Bend Corner Store for years. He retired from the state about 25 years ago, and he hung around the store almost every day since he retired. Some customers thought he worked there he was there so much. Lyin’ Larry got his nickname for his great ability to stretch the truth.

One member of the Gossip Gang said, “We all loved Lyin’ Larry. You couldn’t help but love him, and it’s just not the same without him. Larry could stretch the truth better than anybody. He’d start out with a shred of truth, but his imagination would get the best of him I guess. We’d all just sit back and listen when he started telling a story, because we knew it was going to get good. We miss him.”

A store clerk said, “Gosh! We miss Lyin’ Larry! Everybody loved him. The kids loved him, because he’d give them a piece of gum or peppermint. All the customers loved him; he always talked with them and made them feel good. It just ain’t the same without him.”

Store owner Mahmoud Abdul said, “Larry was a such a fixture here at the store and in the community that I had to do something to honor him. I decided to put up a statue of him outside the store. When we unveiled the statue, we had a celebration of life ceremony for him. It was a great thing for the whole community. So, I’m happy that Lyin’ Larry’s legacy will live on here in SRB.”

You can stop by The Bend Corner Store to see Lyin’ Larry’s statue. It’s a very nice, life-size bronze statue. I had the pleasure of knowing Larry, and I always enjoyed talking with him on Thursdays when I’d get the world famous chicken livers for lunch. He was a fine man, and I was honored to call him a friend.

by Tre w/ the HOA

Hello friends, Valleyans, and countrymen! For those of you that don’t know, Valley Meadows is a mobile home covenant community just outside Valley City. I am the HOA president, and I’m trying to whip this place into shape, but it’s a tall task. Halloween is crazy around here, and I wanna give y’all a recap of what all happened this year.

The wonderful residents of Valley Meadows love Halloween. They decorate much more for Halloween than Christmas unfortunately. More people miss rent payments in November than in January if that tells you something. This year was crazy again. These people really stress me out! I remind everyone on our Facebook group to behave each year, but it doesn’t work.

People come from all over The Valley to see the Halloween decorations in Valley Meadows, so we always have a lot of traffic. That gives our teenagers ample opportunities to scare people in their vehicles. This year, we had multiple instances of teens in scary costumes jumping on the hoods of vehicles trying to scare motorists. Luckily, no one was hurt, but multiple people got out of their vehicles ready to throw hands. The teens just run off and hide.

Most people stay in their vehicles because you never know what might happen if you get out. Some brave people trick or treated in our neighborhood. We had 5 or 6 kids walking around dressed as zombies. I received a report that one small child was almost scared to death. He was scared so badly that he started hyperventilating, and he had to use his inhaler.

Additionally, we had multiple instances of young girls being scared to death by a male teen walking around with a fake knife sticking in his neck. The poor girls came running and screaming back to their vehicle banging on the doors to be let in. They were hysterical, so I doubt they’ll be back next year.

Also, I caught a couple 11 year old boys vaping at the gazebo. It was dark around the gazebo, and I guess they thought no one was around to catch them. I threw their vapes away, and I told their moms about it. I doubt anything happens; I’m sure they got them from their parents. It could be worse; at least they weren’t smoking pot.

Other than the things above, it was a pretty uneventful evening. Hopefully, we can tone it down a bit next year, because things have gotten a little out of hand. I think I’m going to request a law enforcement presence next year. I’ll send out emails and put out a post on our Facebook page, but I doubt anything will change. This job is making me old real quick.