Wednesday in Tippah County is a countdown day. Downtown Ripley has a new business taking shape, the Tigers are two days from kicking off Homecoming against old rival Booneville, the countywide burn ban is holding through another stretch of dry, mild weather, and Blue Mountain Christian’s fall athletes keep piling up good news. Here’s what’s happening and what to watch for the rest of the week.
A New Chapter for Downtown Ripley
Ripley Main Street announced Wednesday that Brown & Covington, an artisan marketplace and creative-entrepreneurship center, is coming to a long-vacant historic building at 301 S. Commerce St. in downtown Ripley, according to Tippah News.
The space will combine a curated marketplace for local artisans and makers with on-site workspace for creating product, room for classes and pop-up events, and gelato service. It will also anchor an “Artisan Accelerator” program that gives selected makers retail space, marketing help, business-development workshops and mentorship. The project traces back to early August, when Ripley Main Street opened applications for four artisan slots; those closed Aug. 31. No opening date has been set yet. Ripley Main Street said simply, “Something good is coming to downtown Ripley,” and promised more details soon. Residents who want updates can call the organization at (662) 512-0226 or watch its Facebook page.
It’s the kind of project that fits a pattern in Tippah County News this fall — small, locally owned ventures filling in the empty storefronts along Commerce Street rather than waiting on outside investment.
Two Days to Kickoff: Ripley Readies for Booneville Homecoming
Homecoming week keeps building toward Friday, when Ripley hosts Booneville at Tiger Stadium at 7 p.m. It’s a rivalry with real history — Ripley leads the all-time series 37-29-2, including a 21-3 win last September and two straight nail-biters before that, 18-15 in 2024 and 10-7 in 2023.
This year’s records tell a different story. Booneville comes in unbeaten at 4-0 and has scored heavily in recent weeks, while Ripley is 1-3 and coming off a 34-0 home loss to East Webster, having managed just 15 points across its last three games. Tippah County Sports frames Friday as as much a reset as a celebration for the Tigers, who will lean on running back Kyran McDonald — he piled up 211 yards and four touchdowns against Mooreville in Week 1 — against a Booneville attack built around running back Tony Ogden and receiver Kydon Smith.
Ripley isn’t the only team with a big Friday. Falkner and Walnut both host home football games the same night, giving families across the county three games to choose from to close out Homecoming week. On the volleyball side, Falkner visits Wheeler Thursday at 6 p.m. Full results and matchups are tracked in the Tippah County sports roundup, where Ripley volleyball is 12-11 overall and a perfect 5-0 in Class 4A Region 3 play, and Falkner volleyball has won three straight to move to 5-2 in Class 1A Region 1.
Dry Stretch Keeps the Burn Ban in Place
The countywide burn ban that the Mississippi Forestry Commission made official earlier this month remains firmly in effect, and the forecast isn’t going to change that anytime soon. The National Weather Service calls for sunny skies and a high near 85 today, partly sunny and 86 Thursday, and sunny again Friday with a high near 88 — dry, pleasant early-fall weather with light north winds, but exactly the conditions that keep fire danger elevated.
Outdoor burning of any kind remains prohibited countywide, with fines running $100 to $500 for violations. Anyone planning yard work involving brush piles or debris burning should hold off. Details on the ban are available through Tippah County News‘ ongoing coverage.
Blue Mountain Christian Keeps Rolling
It’s been a strong stretch for Blue Mountain Christian University athletics. The men’s soccer team beat Central Baptist 2-1 Tuesday night at The Summit, getting a first-half goal from Dipanda Silva Jr. and an insurance goal from Santiago Estebanez in the 67th minute before holding off a late Central Baptist rally. The Toppers outshot Central Baptist 23-3 and improved to 4-1-3 on the season, according to Tippah County Sports.
On the golf course, BMCU’s Alex Nordstrom was named SSAC Men’s Golfer of the Week after winning the individual title at the Coastal Georgia Fall Invitational, shooting a three-round 12-under 199 with rounds of 70-65-64 on a course that got tougher as the tournament went on. Head coach Kevin Barefield credited Nordstrom’s patience, saying he “stayed patient, trusted his game and continued to get better as the tournament went along.” The Toppers finished runner-up in a 15-team field, with three golfers inside the top seven, per Tippah County Sports.
The women’s golf team, meanwhile, finished sixth at the Carey Collegiate at Canebrake Country Club in Hattiesburg. Ansley Pratt led the Toppers with an 18th-place finish and a 237 total, Erin Porter shot a strong 77 in the second round on her way to a 244, and Morgan Dabbs improved each round to close with an 81 for a 250 total. Barefield said he “was pleased with the way our team continued to compete over all three rounds.”
For more on today’s stories and everything developing across the county, visit the Tippah County News and Ripley News category pages.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
