By: Lloydrica Hudson, Sports Editor Valdosta State turned a six-point halftime lead into a 19-point win Monday night, beating Thomas University 82-63 in its men’s basketball season opener at The Complex. Blaise Wallace led the Blazers with 19 points and 12 rebounds, and DJ Hamlett added 16 points off the bench. Valdosta State shot 50% from the field after halftime ...

By: Ji’Layha Wright, Sports Reporter  The Atlanta Falcons traded safety Jessie Bates III to the Jacksonville Jaguars for a 2027 second draft pick and a 2028 fifth round pick on November 9th, 2026.  Jessie Bates III joined the Atlanta Falcons in 2023, after spending five seasons with the  Cincinnati Bengals.   He became a key part of the Atlanta Falcons defense and earned all-pro honors ...

By: Lloydrica Hudson, Sports Reporter Julius Pascal wants to become a motivational speaker and coach. But when his own college football future was taking shape, reaching out to a coach could feel overwhelming. He worried about rejection. Even after receiving an offer from Valdosta State University, he struggled to keep the conversation going. “I was scared of being denied,” Pascal ...

Tahmira Fryson, Sports Reporter The Blazers are packing up their bags and hitting the highway to battle in the 2026 Gulf South Conference Volleyball Tournament. VSU will travel to Huntsville, Alabama, to face the University of Montevallo in Thursday’s postseason game. Heading into the tournament, the Blazers hold a 16-14 overall record and a 10-8 record in Gulf South Conference ...

By Dionte Daniel, Assistant Sports Editor VSU’s women’s basketball team opens the 2026-27 season at home this weekend, returning an All-Gulf South Conference standout and welcoming several Division I transfers and freshmen expected to make an immediate impact. The Lady Blazers will host Eckerd College on Friday at 6 p.m. and Palm Beach Atlantic on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. at ...

By:Rut Labrada, Arts & Entertainment Editor   The Lowndes County Board of Commissioners listened to public input on an ordinance draft that placed restrictions on the building of artificial intelligence (AI) data centers at a regular meeting on Nov. 10.   On Nov. 2, the board first released the ordinance draft for public comment, following months of community concern from grassroots ...

Mallory Taylor Staff Writer VSU’s Alpha Psi Omega had their second annual showing of Rocky Horror Picture Show on Oct. 24.  Directed by Carter Exum and choreographed by Shelby Howell, the production brought the film’s iconic shadow-cast tradition to Valdosta, giving students a chance to experience the preposterous theatrical phenomenon firsthand.   Unlike a traditional movie screening, the production invited audience members ...

By: Aileene-Bjork Novascotia, Staff Writer   “Happy Wheels” is definitely of its time, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. This is a game from when free-to-play browser games were still popular, and “Let’s Play videos were still innovative and fresh. Now, after a whopping 16 years, “Happy Wheels” has finally gotten a full retail release at a price of $4.99. ...

By: Lloydrica Hudson, Sports Editor Florida State fired head football coach Mike Norvell on Nov. 1 following a 36-24 home loss to Clemson that dropped the Seminoles to 3-5. Norvell finished his seven seasons at FSU with a 41-39 record. The school faces a buyout of roughly $50 million, according to The Associated Press. Offensive analyst Rick Stockstill, a former ...

By: Dionte Daniel, Assistant Sports Editor The Blazers showed that they can come back from 24 points last Saturday. They will have another chance to prove that they are one of the best teams in Division II Football this Saturday.  No. 17 Valdosta State (6-1) will take on No. 14 North Greenville (8-1) this Saturday at 2 p.m. Both teams ...