May is the month hundreds of local students will be issued their high school diplomas and this week six graduating seniors were recognized for their participation in a dual enrollment nursing program offered through the Hinds Community College Vicksburg Warren Campus.

Vicksburg and Warren Central High School students, Jessica Carter, Zaria Anderson, Jadyn Stone, Tiye Strong, Sydney Linzy and Lily Brown, participated in the newly expanded program this year, Hinds Practical Nursing Instructor Meshell Chambliss said.

The program allows students to graduate from high school while only leaving summer and fall courses to complete before being certified as an LPN-2, Chambliss said.

“The LPN program has been a great opportunity for me this year,” VHS senior Lily Brown said. “It has offered me a chance to realize that this is what I want to do for a long time. It has been great.”

The students enroll in two classes at Hinds in the fall semester of their senior year and one class in the spring semester. They also complete a practicum at Shady Lawn Nursing Home.

Students that complete the LPN program will have the ability to work as a nurse at long-term care facilities or nursing homes like Shady Lawn. They will also have the opportunity to enroll in the 12-month RN bridge program at Hinds, which opens additional doors.

Also, this week in Vicksburg, more than 250 people turned out for the kick off of the spring Vicksburg Farmers’ Market held at the corner of Washington and Jackson streets.

“This is success,” market manager Sonny Hale said. “This was a big day, and we did it without our high-end vendors, who weren’t quite ready to come. I’m not being critical, because we need them, too, but this was a great opening.”

The first market of the season featured a variety of items from pastries, to pasta, vegetables and watermelon and tips from the county’s master gardeners on making a lasagna garden.

In addition to vendors selling their wares, the Farmer’s Market also had master gardeners providing information on how to make a lasagna garden.

More positives this week in Vicksburg:

• On Thursday, the Warren County community joined the country in celebrating the National Day of Prayer. Gatherings were held throughout town as local participants joined countless others throughout the nation for a time of prayer.
• On Saturday, the 8th Annual Walk Against Crime was held. City and county law enforcement agencies along with emergency workers and others participated in the crime walk, which began at the steps of city hall and ended at the Warren County Courthouse