Mississippi Book Festival: National celebrities including Kate McKinnon, Tisha Campbell and Rick Ross are set to spotlight the annual Mississippi Book Festival at the State Capitol, bringing thousands of readers to the Literary Lawn Party. Education & community: Mississippi State College of Education staff members recently graduated from the College Business Management Institute, a national program focused on higher-ed business leadership. Public works: Jackson County has begun construction on a new I-10 Welcome Center, a $35.2 million project with expanded truck parking, accessibility upgrades and modernized security. Campus safety & health: After two University of Mississippi student deaths, Virginia Tech is intensifying wellness messaging, warning students to avoid pills that don’t belong to them as kratom was found at both scenes. Local justice: Two men were arrested in Oxford after police seized more than 500 units of kratom and other suspected narcotics from a vape and tobacco store; the case follows city rules banning kratom sales. Culture & faith: A new feminist book club is taking shape at Mississippi University for Women, led by a student in partnership with Friendly City Books. Sports & women’s athletics: Mississippi AG Lynn Fitch joined a letter urging Congress not to strip privacy and safety protections for women student-athletes from the Protect College Sports Act.