Articles by Jan Swoope
For boys without a dad in the home, Father’s Day is just another day … but mentor fathers are making a difference
Christopher is like plenty of 9-year-old boys: He’s a Mississippi State Bulldogs fan and likes Xbox video games. Baseball, soccer and swimming rank high on his list. He is learning mixed martial arts and is a whiz with Legos. But Christopher is also living without his father.
Excitement builds at Palmer Home ahead of SuperTalk radiothon
The goal is hefty, but Palmer Home for Children hopes to raise $120,000 Thursday with a third annual Radiothon on the SuperTalk Mississippi Network.
TWT readies for ‘Support Our Stars’ party and major play
June is a busy month for organizers of Columbus’ Tennessee Williams Tribute.
Kids cook: Culinary campers prove you’re never too young to learn
Rapheal Skinner of Macon may be only 10 years old, but he thinks he has a pretty good idea of what he’d like to do later in life.
Jigs and reels: Shall we dance? Golden Triangle Celts hope you’ll give it a whirl
“You did say this is for beginners, right?”
Man of music: Multi-hit songwriter Walt Aldridge to visit Columbus
Walt Aldridge is very good at what he does.
A summer camp, on the museum road
Summer brings with it a host of camps for kids of every age, from swimming and tennis to canoeing and cooking.
United Way’s Venture Grants boost seven local organizations
After-school meals, mentoring young men, a critical phone system upgrade — these are a few of the initiatives coming to various Columbus organizations thanks to United Way of Lowndes County Venture Grants totaling almost $30,000.
Prairie Women luncheon … a neighborly thing to do
There was a time when most of us really knew our neighbors — could call them by name, ask about their children, share a little something from the garden or kitchen, or count on them in an emergency.
Buy a duck, build a Habitat for Humanity house
Duck adoptions are underway. But these particular yellow fowl require no feeding or vet visits — only a contribution the Columbus-Lowndes Habitat for Humanity can use to change the trajectory of a family’s life.
Sounds of Summer fires up Thursday at the Riverwalk
Live music will soon echo from the banks of the Columbus Riverwalk.
Still time to support Loaves & Fishes
The many volunteers who work week in and week out to ensure the hungry of Lowndes County receive basic sustenance remind the community that tickets are still available for the Loaves & Fishes Soup Kitchen’s major annual fundraiser.
Memorial Day: One of the last eyewitnesses to D Day looks back
When Joseph R. Johnson landed on the beaches of Normandy, France, June 6, 1944 — D Day — he prayed fervently the blessing his daddy had said for him the day he left the farm at 17 for the Army would kick in.
New Stage celebrates state’s musical heritage with blues production
The Magnolia State and the blues go hand in hand.
SCT’s ‘Almost, Maine’: it’s love … but not quite
The town of Almost, Maine, is so far north, it’s almost not in the United States; it’s almost in Canada. And it almost doesn’t exist because the townsfolk never got around to getting organized. So, it’s just … Almost.
CAC gives music ‘A Different Voice’
There are those who speak, look, act, think or communicate differently, but everyone has something valuable to say.
‘Every Mind Matters: Ask the Doctors’ event open to the public
May is Mental Health Month. In celebration of it, several agencies will partner to host a panel discussion event Thursday, May 28 in Columbus.
Show your colors: Catch their eye with patriotic biscuits and more festive ideas
As our nation’s two most patriotic observances approach — Memorial Day and Fourth of July — cooks and hosts out there will turn their thoughts to the feasting that accompanies them.
New roots: A community garden gets an energizing dose of can-do
Not far from the hum of traffic on Starkville’s Highway 12 lies a quiet green space. Most people never pass it in the course of their day, never know it’s there in the curve on Josey Avenue.
Veterans Memorial walk/run to honor memory of Starkville vet
Judie Holmes is far too familiar with the difficulties some veterans face as they reintegrate to home and community after military service.
