Articles by Jan Swoope
JA Charity Ball ticket night set for Thursday in Columbus
Tickets to an event that typically fills Trotter Convention Center each spring will become available to the public Thursday.
Sweets and savory for your Valentine
With Cupid due to arrive tomorrow, anyone planning to cook for their sweetheart is fine-tuning the menu. A visit to Mississippi University for Women’s Culinary Arts Institute Monday found Chef Mary Helen Hawkins showing students in a Demonstration Techniques class several options, from truffles and quick cookies to savory filet mignon.
Completing the circuit: Curiosity — and a desert — lead to innovation from an engineer with a musician’s ear
For J.C. Long, early tutelage in electronics came as a kid, from his dad. But it was at a military post 6,800 miles away from his Mississippi home years later that he almost stumbled across what he was meant to do in life. It took a while for him to realize it.
Arts, entertainment, tribute combine in CAC gala
A Chicago Wrigley Field adventure, getaways at the beach and lake, elegant feasts, a mint julep tasting and custom-made fire pit are only a few of the items soon up for bid at the 35th annual Columbus Arts Council Gala Saturday, Feb. 23.
Color me pink: Of Elmer’s glue, paper doilies and sweet celebration
Try as I might, I’ve never come across anyone else who grew up delivering Valentines to special neighbors and friends incognito. I swear, my mother told us this was a thing. And so, in our family, it was.
Jembe Den and the powerful language of African drumming
In western culture, think of drumming and a John Bonham, Dave Grohl or even Buddy Rich may come to mind. But imagine a culture where entertainment isn’t the purpose, where drums hold deeper symbolic and historical meaning.
Rescue 100 to host foster family info session in Columbus
Rescue 100 is committed to recruiting, training and supporting foster families who can provide loving homes for children in the state foster care system. The faith-based initiative will hold an orientation session Feb. 11 in Columbus at Life Church at 4888 N. Frontage Road.
Savory bites to end the season with
It’s hard to miss that Super Bowl LIII (53) is fast approaching. Perhaps you’ve noticed a bit of hype, even if only to spot the football-themed paper plates at the big box, or soft drink displays made to look like goal posts. Yes, Sunday is the big day.
The potter’s touch: A Crawford artisan is making his mark in clay
A potter with work inspired by the movie “Black Panther”? I was hooked. The press release from Mississippi University for Women about a graduate’s current ceramics exhibition made me curious about Stephen Phillips. Photographs of his dynamic work showed vessels of powerful design and high quality. And he was making all this in Crawford?
Quick Bites: sweet designs, pruning and a Farm Bill checkup
February will herald a new schedule of free Quick Bites interactive video programs offered by the Mississippi State University Extension Service.
Savoring the winter garden: Brrr … but good things are still growing
We may not associate cold, wet January with gardens, yet good things are growing. Some of our favorite winter vegetables are surprisingly hardy and cope well with wintry weather with a little care.
Cybersecurity 101: There’s more than one way to ‘get fit’ in the new year
Today, she has a hard time believing she fell for it. But four years ago, Julie — who asked not to use her last name — accepted an email from her “bank” at face value. It informed the Columbus woman that her account information needed updating.
An homage to history leads to friendships forged
Light rain fell on a small group of women gathered in Odd Fellows Cemetery in Starkville on the second day of 2019. It didn’t dampen their sense of purpose.
Ready, set, grow: Sign up for Master Gardener training
Even in the grip of frigid temperatures, Mississippians know spring will eventually begin to tease and tempt.
Low-carb, anyone?: Going lower-carb doesn’t mean giving up on flavor
If reducing carbohydrates in your diet is part of your I’m-gonna-do-it-better-this-year master plan, you’re not alone.
Building Hope: A local teacher helps ‘build a bridge’ between continents
When Janet Robertson stands before her New Hope Middle School science students, the class has her full attention. But there are quiet moments, after-hours or during down time, when her mind travels 8,000 miles away.
Memphis Jones brings a dose of Beale Street to the Triangle
From blues to soul and rock ‘n’ roll, Memphis Jones delivers a Memphis-music experience to every audience. Jones’ high-energy infotainment is a weekly fixture at B.B. King’s Blues Club on world-famous Beale Street.
Columbus-Lowndes Public Library earns Star status
Columbus-Lowndes Public Library System is among 12 library systems in the state recently named as Mississippi Library Stars for Fiscal Year 2017.
More caviar, please: This ‘delicacy’ is down-home
No sooner did Dispatch columnist Amanda Plair share a recipe last Wednesday for Tennessee Caviar than I came across Linda Bobbitt of Columbus making her signature Mississippi Caviar for a Saturday reception at the Rosenzweig Arts Center.
A year on ‘The Trace’: Local photographers help document the historic route
In their careers, Bob and Pat Boisseau of Sherwood Photography in Columbus have photographed hundreds, if not thousands, of weddings, senior portraits, children, family reunions and just about everything else in between. This past year, however, they took on an assignment of a different kind when they became official photographers of the Natchez Trace Parkway.
City of Columbus Building Permits, June 9-12, 2025
June 18, 2025
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