MISS. MASH HYSTERIA

Residents baffled by bowls of spuds sprouting up in capital

Neighbors in a historic neighborhood in Jackson, Miss., were scratching their heads this week as they sidestepped bowls of mashed potatoes that mysteriously turned up outside numerous homes.

The potatoes, left in Styrofoam bowls, appeared around Belhaven, one of the city’s oldest communities and the home of Belhaven University.

Residents told local media they have found mashed potatoes on their doorsteps and mailboxes and even on top of their cars.

“I got up and was headed to work at 7 o’clock and there was just a Styrofoam bowl of mashed potatoes on the doorstep right there,” Belhaven resident Sebastian Bjernegard told KFVS on Tuesday.

Other residents weren’t as certain about what was in the bowls.

“I’ve seen a lot of weird things since moving to Jackson but walking out to my car this morning to find a bowl of what I THINK was potato salad on my windshield definitely ranks in the top 5,” Jordan Lewis wrote on Facebook.

One of the theories shared on social media is that this is a prank by students at Belhaven University because many alumni live in the area. Other residents seemed concerned that someone might be trying to poison pets in the community.

Regardless of the motive, neighbors say it is just another odd story from Belhaven, and they don’t see the need to call in law enforcement. “This neighborhood does a lot of quirky things,” Lewis told KFVS.

“We decorate road signs, we put Christmas trees in our potholes, so it’s not surprising at all. That’s why I love this neighborhood because they do so many strange things, but it’s definitely one of the weirdest things I’ve seen since living in Jackson,” he said.