Articles by Jan Swoope
April Quick Bites roll out red carpet, floral fashion, more
With luck, “April showers” in the Golden Triangle won’t equal the deluges — and mud — of the past couple of months.
Light and easy
Somewhat to my pseudo-horror, I overheard a group of teenage girls in a local restaurant this past week. (I wasn’t eavesdropping; it was unavoidable.) Their topic reminded me of all those impending “swimsuit seasons” when I was a teen.
Tradition and transition: Columbus Pilgrimage includes a farewell, and a welcome
Change tends to come slowly to a venerable 79-year tradition like the Columbus Spring Pilgrimage. But, as with all things, change does come with the passage of time. This year’s annual Pilgrimage marks an exit, and an entrance — a farewell to the tour by one homeowner family, and the beginning of another family’s antebellum journey.
Thursday’s kickoff party, special events highlight Pilgrimage
Thursday marks the kickoff of the 79th annual Columbus Spring Pilgrimage — nine days of historic home and garden tours, Tales from the Crypt, Catfish in the Alley, Artisans Alley, a barn quilt trail, carriage rides, garden party, 5K run, food, music and fun.
‘Meet the Author’ hosts Harker Tuesday at Fant Library
Fant Memorial Library at Mississippi University for Women will host writer Jaime Harker at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday as it continues its Meet the Author Series.
West Point Arts Council’s ‘Hee Haw’ revisits the ‘kornfield’
All the favorites will be there — “Grandpa Jones,” “Minnie Pearl,” “Lulu,” “Junior” and the rest — when the West Point/Clay County Arts Council presents “Hee Haw” March 28-30 at the Louise Campbell Center for the Arts in West Point.
Area filmmaker begins next feature film with MAC assist
Independent filmmaker Michael Williams of West Point has more stories to tell. A $5,000 grant from the Mississippi Arts Commission (MAC) will help him do it.
Grab-and-go breakfast
Stirred by some internal, infernal clock, I reluctantly opened an eye Monday morning, relieved to see the sky still dark. Foggily judging the time to be about 4:30 a.m., I thankfully figured I had a couple more hours to dream. Reality intruded seemingly five minutes later when the alarm — set for 6:30 — sounded off. How could it possibly be time to get up for work?
Rev up: An iconic car inspires one owner to try to get a new club started
After a more than 30-year career, plus 13 years in the Army and Active Guard Reserves, Vantee Summerville finally “scratched an itch” he’d had since his days at Columbus’ Hunt High School. Today, it gleams in his driveway, a sleek, powerful machine in metallic navy blue.
JA of Columbus announces 2019 Charity Ball court
Junior Auxiliary of Columbus has announced the members of its 69th annual Charity Ball court that will be presented March 30 at Trotter Convention Center.
Luck o’ the Irish
Ah, March — bringer of St. Patrick’s Day. The holiday is not overlooked in the Golden Triangle. More about that in a minute.
Storm’s wake: In the midst of calamity, giving back shines through
Neighbors looking out their windows might have wondered what was going on in the middle of Eighth Avenue South Wednesday morning. Few would realize it was nothing short of a spontaneous prayer meeting, a mountaintop moment prompted by an unselfish act of kindness and the recipient’s great joy.
Ten years on, bluesman’s memory is celebrated with music
Ten years ago, in March, bluesman Willie King of Old Memphis, Alabama, packed the Columbus Arts Council’s Omnova Theater with fans who reveled in the music, just as they had when he’d frequently played there before. No one knew it would be his last performance.
Columbus library blooms in quilted colors
A spring exhibit of colorful quilts will fill the Columbus-Lowndes Public Library this month and next.
A taste of the Big Easy
Renee Verner hopes this past Saturday is the one and only time a tornado warning sends her hurrying to shelter in the middle of prepping to feed several hundred people. It makes for just a little too much excitement.
Calling all lifelong learners: LION launches ‘Learning in Our Neighborhood’
Years ago, Marilyn Ford would help her daughter Brandi fall asleep with adventurous tales of Sir Gawain, an humble knight in service to King Arthur. The chivalric stories from a late 14th-century Middle English romance are some of Ford’s favorites. Soon, she will get to share the Arthurian quests with inquisitive adults in a class titled “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.”
Cardio for Kids teaches youngsters life-saving techniques
“Awesome” was the word 10-year-old Shelby Reeves used to describe what she learned at Cardio for Kids Feb 16. Reeves and other youngsters were taught how to administer CPR and how to use an AED — automated external defibrillator — at the event presented by Columbus Cardiovascular Care on Willowbrook Road.
Every day’s a (food) holiday
Food “holidays” amaze me. It’s hard to name a food that doesn’t have a day or month devoted to its celebration. February is National Chocolate Lovers Month (of course). And National Potato Lovers Month. And National Cherry Month, Grapefruit Month, Snack Food Month and Hot Breakfast Month, to name a few. But it gets better.
Threads through time: A discovery of old letters links families, preserves county history
Lynne Rosamond carefully unfolds a letter from another century. The handwriting is small and close, the paper fragile with age. Not unexpected in correspondence penned 170 years ago. It is one of several letters from the mid-1800s discovered in family memorabilia at Franklin Square, the circa 1835 home of Lilla Pratt Rosamond until her passing in 2009.
Magnolia Film Festival returns for 22nd year
Mississippi’s oldest film festival will once again celebrate independent filmmakers with a showcase in the Golden Triangle.
Aldermen jeopardize massive project over business owner’s complaints
June 19, 2025
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