Good morning, East Central Mississippi — from Louisville to DeKalb, Noxapater to Union, Philadelphia to Meridian to Starkville, and every little town in between. It’s Thursday, October 15, and there’s plenty happening around the region today. Let’s get to it.

Thursday’s Weather

Another warm one across the region: sunny skies with a high near 91 and an overnight low around 62. The rain chance stays low all day, about 10 percent in the morning and 10 percent in the afternoon, so no washout worries. A light southwest breeze, and the UV index runs high, so grab the sunscreen if you’re out around midday. No weather alerts for today.

Local Events

Taking a different road today — starting up in Clarke County and working through the smaller towns.

In Quitman, the school kids are living their best life: fall break runs all week, October 12 through 16, so the Quitman School District is quiet and the town’s a little livelier with kids out and about.

Good news out of DeKalb and its neighbors: the Dollar General Literacy Foundation has awarded the Kemper-Newton Regional Library System a $3,500 grant for youth literacy. Library Director Destiny Alexander says it’ll buy new books for kindergarten-through-12th-grade readers, with guided reading sessions and literacy activities at all five branches — DeKalb, Decatur, Newton, Scooba, and Union.

And one for the calendar: Governor Reeves has proclaimed this Fall Severe Weather Preparedness Week, October 12 through 17, and Thursday’s theme is flash flooding. MEMA and the National Weather Service are putting out daily safety tips all week — worth a minute of your time, especially with how dry it’s been.

Breaking News

More than 20 Mississippi counties are under burn bans as a severe drought grips the state, WLBT reported Wednesday. The Mississippi Forestry Commission is getting 30 to 40 fire calls a day, and officials say nine out of ten fires are human-caused. Check your county’s rules before you burn anything — and if you see a fire, call 911.

Plan Ahead

A heads-up for Friday: a Fire Weather Watch runs from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM across the area — dry air plus gusty wind means any outdoor burning could get out of hand fast. Hold off if you can.

Then a real fall cool-down rolls in: Saturday’s high only reaches about 69 with a low near 42 under sunny skies — more than a 20-degree drop from Thursday. Dig out a jacket.

Saturday night, Dwight Yoakam plays Center Stage at Pearl River Resort in Philadelphia. And Saturday morning in Starkville, the Hill’s Halloween Dog Jog runs 8:00 AM to noon — leashes, costumes, and four-legged friends welcome.

Looking a little further out: Lainey Wilson plays two shows at the Ellis Theater in Philadelphia on Tuesday, October 20 — 5:30 and 8:30 PM. If you want in, don’t wait on tickets.

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