Articles by Jan Swoope
Terrific tailgating: Fans get tips for safe gridiron grub
With about 72 hours left on the SEC season count-down clock, tailgate pros and red-shirt rookies alike are looking forward to major game day munchies. For many, a game is not a game unless a tailgate spread precedes it.
Friends, blues fans honor native son Howlin’ Wolf at annual West Point fest
“I was just this fat, little kid who loved him,” Colin Linden chuckles, reliving his first encounter at age 11 with the inimitable bluesman Howlin’ Wolf in Toronto, Ontario. The seven-time Juno Award winner’s voice travels, accessible and warm, via phone from Nashville.
Recipes to take a shine to: StarShine’s chefs share some of their best
Ever wished you could tap into some of the most creative dishes devised by great chefs? Today is your day. Recipes that wowed the crowd — and judges — at the Starkville Area Arts Council’s StarShine culinary extravaganza at The Bistro in Starkville Aug. 7-8 are yours to try.
Celebrating Tennessee: Revered actress brings one of America’s great playwrights to life
There was a time when Thomas Lanier Williams, born March 26, 1911, in Columbus, was simply another curious toddler growing up on College Street. His first years were there with his family in the rectory of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, where his maternal grandfather, the Rev. Walter Dakin, was priest.
Take a peek: Three of Columbus’ Victorian era homes open for tour during Tribute
While it’s often Columbus’ antebellum homes at center stage, don’t overlook many of the lovely and classic examples of Victorian architecture to be found here.
Columbus man in ‘Millionaire’ hot seat
Eight seconds and four Winter Olympics’ sites were all that stood between Jim Robinson, of Columbus, and the Hot Seat opposite Regis Philbin on ABC’s “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” Thursday night.
Local ‘Millionaire’ contestant goes for the big bucks tonight
Three weeks ago, Jim Robinson was thrilled to get the phone call he’d been waiting on for nearly a decade. When producers summoned the Columbus resident to New York City as a potential contestant on ABC’s special two-week 10th anniversary edition of “Who Wants to be a Millionaire,” it was the culmination of a dream.
Local ‘Millionaire’ contestant goes for the big bucks tonight
Three weeks ago, Jim Robinson was thrilled to get the phone call he’d been waiting on for nearly a decade. When producers summoned the Columbus resident to New York City as a potential contestant on ABC’s special two-week 10th anniversary edition of “Who Wants to be a Millionaire,” it was the culmination of a dream.
Caring Cooks: Casserole ministry needs friends helping friends
Some words have the power to shake our foundation. “Cancer” is one of them. Six letters with the ability to turn life inside out. The road to becoming a cancer survivor is a challenging one, often filled with life-altering treatments, all while trying to maintain some semblance of daily life.
National abstinence educator to speak at ‘Boots for Babies’
Seven years ago, Pam Stenzel grew weary of hearing the phrase, “Nobody told me.” After years of counseling young girls who found themselves in crisis pregnancies, the then-director of a crisis pregnancy center in Minnesota began to realize so many were completely unaware of the risks involved with sexual activity — that many had never been told about the consequences of their choices.
Autographed fiddle makes music for MSMS
Dr. Clyde Lindley is a seasoned veteran when it comes to collecting autographs. The director of academic affairs at Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science has been doing it for the past 40 years.
Golden Triangle cyclist discovers America, one mile at a time
Several years ago, Jimmy Richardson’s brother made an astounding suggestion. The two men had completed a cycling trip on the Natchez Trace, and brother Charles floated the idea of traversing America on bikes.
Columbus native returns for exhibit at RAC
Watercolorist Jennie Quinn Szaltis followed her artistic calling from Columbus, where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Mississippi University for Women, to Pensacola, Fla., where she worked in interior design, her major field of study at the W.
A streetcar named “Desire” tours town, in advance of the Tennessee Williams Tribute’s theatrical production
The days when streetcars rumbled through Columbus’ city streets are long past. Their clanging rail-borne songs had faded away by 1917. But, for a nostalgic moment one recent afternoon, visions of a vintage trolley car reappeared in historic downtown, if only in miniature.
Treasure Hunters Roadshow in Columbus through Saturday
Bruce Barnett walked into the Wingate Inn Wednesday with a hefty collection of coins and small silver bars that has been sitting idle for years. The Columbus man had come to find out what the Treasure Hunters thought of it.
Treasure Hunters Roadshow in Columbus through Saturday
Bruce Barnett walked into the Wingate Inn Wednesday with a hefty collection of coins and small silver bars that has been sitting idle for years. The Columbus man had come to find out what the Treasure Hunters thought of it.
Laser games, heroes’ tribute hail local opening of ‘G.I. Joe’
When forces of good and evil clash on movie screens across the country as “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra” opens Aug. 7, Columbus’ Malco Theatre and the Mississippi National Guard will be right there with them.
Hobby gardener turns swimming pool into veggie smorgasbord
When Nick and Eleanor Hairston decided an in-ground pool installed behind their west Lowndes County home in 1974 had served its purpose, they opted for dramatic changes. Not many months after retiring from his post as Lowndes County administrator, Nick was ready to tackle a new project. With the help of savvy friends, family, the “Garden Tabloid” — and even garden guru Felder Rushing — he transformed the 34-by-17 foot pool into a bountiful backyard garden.
Come on Down: The Columbus Opry is alive and well
“Yeah, Brother Fiddle Player, hey, hey, hey!” Hilton Hammond calls from the audience, clapping her hands as retired Air Force Col. Jim Fain launches into “Orange Blossom Special.” The house band jumps in, and the audience is hooked, even the youngsters playing cards, or hide and seek under the tables.
Hitching Lot Farmers’ Market earns MDA certification
The Hitching Lot Farmers’ Market was recently certified by the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce as part of the Mississippi Farmers’ Market Certification Program. The MDA launched the program as a way to recognize the growing number of farmers’ markets across the state.
