Shrove Tuesday pancake suppers and Ash Wednesday services were held at many of the local churches this past week kicking off the season of lent.

“Lent is reminiscent of the 40 days that Jesus was out in the wilderness, which is tied to the 40 years the Hebrews were wandering in the wilderness,” the Rev. Margaret Ayers of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church said.

Ayers, along with members and visitors, enjoyed pancakes on Tuesday during the church’s annual pancake supper.

Local churches were not only serving pancakes and holding Ash Wednesday services, the Vicksburg Church of Christ (Holiness) USA, won the Southwest Mississippi District Bible Bowl. The church will now go on to compete on the regional level at the Diocese Bible Quiz with six other Mississippi district teams. The competition will be Saturday, Feb. 27 in Pearl. During the Bible Bowl Competition, church teams of children and adults are quizzed on scripture.

Every year the chosen scripture is announced at the national convention in June. This year’s scripture is St. Mark: 6-9 from the King James Version of the Bible.

Jamal Williams and his friend Greg Linzy are encouraging locals to help them come up with 150 cases of bottled water to send to the citizens of Flint Michigan. Williams was made aware of the crisis in the Flint water supply through social media and during one of his classes at Jackson State University.

“I saw they didn’t have water and water is something you need to live with. So then I thought what could I do to help?”

The Vicksburg Post is serving as a drop off point for the cases of water or you can call Williams at 601-529-9140, and he will pick up the cases.