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Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann speaks to a Mississippi Studies class at Alexander Junior High. Students were studying the delta region for a county map quiz. Hosemann provided plenty of fun facts. (Hunter Cloud | The Daily Leader)

BROOKHAVEN — Alexander Junior High welcomed Lieutenant Governor Delbert Hosemann Wednesday morning. Jennifer Whittier, a former Alexander teacher, said her granddaughter is a student at the school and she knew Hosemann so she pulled a few strings for the visit. 

Hosemann toured the school and spoke with Brookhaven School District Superintendent Rod Henderson. He walked and talked with Alexander principal Patrick Hardy down the black and yellow checkered halls. 

Whittier said her granddaughter’s favorite class is Mississippi Studies and Hosemann paid the classroom a visit while students were studying a map of the Mississippi Delta region for an upcoming quiz. Students listened as Hosemann spitballed facts about Issaquena, Washington, Leflore, Bolivar, Sharkey, Humphreys, Sunflower, Tunica, DeSoto and Tallahatchie Counties. 

“The Delta is shrinking due to automation. It has lost about 60,000 people who are moving to DeSoto County and other places. It is sad,” Hosemann said. “It is the most fertile ground in the world. They grow corn, soybeans, cotton and other crops there and had a great production year but prices were cheap so farmers are hurting this year.”

Hosemann was asked about his role as Lt. Governor. He told the class he is one of seven statewide elected officials and is the second person in line to the Governor. As Lt. Governor, he runs the senate and receives every single bill that comes through the Senate. He then sends the bill to the appropriate committee and he also appoints senators to serve on committees. 

Anyone can watch the senate proceedings on YouTube and TV. Hosemann told the class they need to watch some of the good debate later in the legislative session. 

He told the class in the other nine months out of the year he gets to visit communities in Mississippi like Brookhaven. 

“I come out to find out what people are thinking. Absenteeism is an important issue. So many children didn’t come back to school after COVID and we had rates as high as 28 percent,” Hosemann said. “You can’t learn unless your seat is in your seat. It is very important. Your future depends on what you learn here to be able to make a living one day.”

One issue Hosemann mentioned in regards to education is the presence of cell phones in the classroom. During his visit, not a single cell phone of a student was out. It is not the norm everywhere in Mississippi. 

Hosemann said the senate may work to pass a law limiting cell phone use in schools as it creates a diversion from learning and teachers. 

“What you are learning today is your future,” Hosemann told the class. 

He left the class and went with Henderson to a conference room in Alexander where the two sat down and had a private meeting behind closed doors.

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