Articles by Jan Swoope
Ready to swap?
All are welcome to celebrate Earth Day with a Community Seed Swap Tuesday at the Columbus-Lowndes Public Library System.
Kitten season: Shelters implore communities to help curb a spring explosion of kitten births
Odds on healthy survival for four little kittens born to a feral gray tabby mother cat in Columbus went up recently. They — and mama cat — were brought into the Columbus-Lowndes Humane Society on April 1.
Oats for the sweet tooth
Of all the breakfast foods I remember from good ole school days, oatmeal was the one I just couldn’t warm up to.
Spring renewal: Artisans, blues, Southern fare herald Catfish in the Alley
Friday morning found potter Cathryn Borer at her kitchen counter surrounded by rolling pins, sponges and plenty of ready clay.
Let carrots star as an Easter side
Peter Cottontail will soon be making his rounds. Chocolate eggs may be at the top of our lists, but it’s safe to assume the Easter Bunny’s spring snack of choice must be carrots. We’d be better off munching on the vitamin — and nutrient-packed vegetable, too.
Hands that ‘see’ the world
Sharon McConnell Dickerson’s life as a flight attendant and chef on corporate jets was always an exciting one, sending her to the skies in the company of magnates and public figures such as George and Barbara Bush and Henry Kissinger. That life abruptly ended, however, when she was 27, waking up in Chicago, suddenly unable to see.
Columbus to host Tennessee Williams’ birthday celebration
To mark the 110th birthday of two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tennessee Williams, organizers of Columbus’ annual Tennessee Williams Tribute, in partnership with the Columbus-Lowndes Convention and Visitors Bureau (Visit Columbus), will host a weekend of celebrations Friday and Saturday.
Downtown Columbus readies for spring open house
Participating merchants in downtown Columbus are preparing to offer new spring trends, products for the home, fresh fashions and jewelry as well as good food and many other items during the Downtown Spring Open House 10 a.m. — 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, March 26-27.
When the music stopped … And the hope it is making its return
One year ago, vocalist Jennifer Davis was eager about the upcoming Starkville-MSU Symphony Association concert, a highlight of the Orchestra and Community Chorus spring season. Rehearsals were all but done. Finishing touches were falling into place. Friends had it on their calendars. Then, the music stopped, when COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic in March 2020.
Whip up a little luck o’ the Irish
In the normal course of things, next Wednesday would find St. Patrick’s Day celebrants likely gathering at favored watering holes for green brew and beads. But we’re still beating back the pandemic, so hopefully most are being smart about keeping some distance. That doesn’t mean we can’t embrace being Irish for a day, as the saying goes.
Bedz4Kidz gives children a safe place to rest and grow
“I’m a guy that believes God guides and God provides,” John Almond said with conviction. That faith has not wavered, certainly not since he was shocked to learn there were an estimated several thousand children in the Triangle area that had no bed to sleep in.
Tips to reset the veggie and fruit meter
In like a lion, out like a lamb. So goes the folklore of March. While the month’s advent wasn’t exactly made with a roar, we hope to be enjoying mild temps and easy, breezy days ahead.
To lead, to succeed: Youth of the Year program inspires kids to step up and lead
Zephaniah Gore was a seventh-grader when, at the urging of a friend, he started going to the Boys & Girls Club in Columbus after school. He didn’t know exactly what to expect, but what he discovered was a place that is opening doors to his future.
Shackouls Honors College takes ‘Twisted Tales of Poe’ to radio
When COVID-19 forced the Mississippi State University Shackouls Honors College to take their annual classical play to radio airwaves this past fall, the response was positive. So much so that, as pandemic restrictions persist into the spring semester, the students will again present a radio drama on the air.
Quick Bites welcome spring
Mississippi State University Extension Service’s Quick Bites programs for March encourage warm thoughts of spring.
For peanut butter lovers
We’ve spent a lot of time wishing much of our recent calendar behind us, starting with practically the entire year of 2020. Now, add ice-geddon to the list for most Mississippians. We’re ready to look ahead to March. And March 1 happens to be National Peanut Butter Lovers’ Day.
Love where you live: A new thrift store and reopened pantry are all about community care
When Andy Setiawan transitioned from his role as youth pastor at The Assembly in Columbus to outreach pastor in January, he knew he was going to be “in it 100 percent.” Outreach has always been integral to The Assembly congregation, whether as volunteers clearing tornado debris from the yards of people they’ve never met or hoisting hammers on a home repair for someone in need of a little help. It’s all about the premise “love where you live.”
A neighborly warm-up
Monday’s fading light gleamed dully off our ice-crusted front pasture and a lightly-traveled rural road bordering it. As tends to happen in the Prairie, neighborly gestures are part and parcel of the culture. I’d gotten a text a bit earlier that a relative was bringing supper.
‘We need to talk’: Libraries help inspire conversations about race relations during Black History Month
As Youth Services Librarian Jayme Evans selected books to highlight in February at West Point’s Bryan Public Library, she kept in mind that Black History Month should mean more than simply knowing the names of some famous black people and being able to memorize a quote by Martin Luther King Jr.
Fuel for Super Sunday
Whether your team made it into the Super Bowl or not (mine didn’t), chances are you’ll be tuning in. It’s the last hoorah for America’s game in what has been a wacky season.
