Farview — a place to remember

The homes of our childhoods are often dear in memory. Their walls and roofs, though inanimate, can inspire fierce devotion. Jane Fulton Hunt of Columbus feels that way about Farview, an ancestral home that has sheltered generations of her family dating back to 1835.

All Ears: Bacon, toasted almonds, smoked feta, marshmallow? Yes, we’re talking corn on the cob

My memories of my Granddaddy and Grandmama West’s farm in Pontotoc are few and precious. I was very young when Granddaddy died and his beloved Minnie moved back to Memphis, leaving behind the rural peace they had enjoyed together.

Check into ‘Hotel Hell’ tonight for Starkville episode

The Fox network reality show “Hotel Hell” airing tonight hits close to home for the Golden Triangle. Hotel Chester in downtown Starkville is the focus of the episode that brought show creator and host Gordon Ramsay and his crew to the college town to film in June 2013.

Have a CSI itch to scratch? Forensic sleuth John Ross may be your man

Have a conversation with John Ross, and topics like lividity, paraffin tests, toxicology, insect larvae and such may come up. It’s not that Ross, a retired U.S. Air Force colonel in Columbus, is preoccupied with criminal nature or the macabre. It’s only that forensic science fascinates him.

TWT’s Moon Lake Party to showcase Broadway veteran

The 13th annual Tennessee Williams Tribute and Tour of Victorian Homes Sept. 8-14 will bring a Broadway flair to Columbus as Joel Vig makes a return visit to the Golden Triangle.

Supersized: A Columbus grower’s garden shows off at summer’s end

A couple of days ago, an email came my way with a photo of Benny Yarbrough holding a brag-worthy tomato. Yarbrough wasn’t looking for attention, but had shared the picture because it was the largest tomato he’s harvested in all his years of gardening.

When life gets messy…a Journey to Freedom may have the answers

It wasn’t so long ago that Linda Warnat saw a flyer at the Frank P. Phillips Y in downtown Columbus for a class called Journey to Freedom: Your Start to a Lifetime of Hope, Health and Happiness. Warnat isn’t quite sure why, but she was compelled to sign up for the eight-week experience.

Youngsters can add their ‘two cents’ to Mother Goose Endowment

The Mother Goose Endowment for Literacy and Advancement at the Columbus-Lowndes Public Library will soon benefit from the generosity of the community’s youngest citizens.

‘Partial to Home’ to replace Paramours concert

A scheduled Aug. 9 concert and two workshops by the Twangtown Paramours of Nashville, Tennessee, have been unavoidably postponed, the Columbus Arts Council announced Wednesday.

Riley Center announces star-studded season

Contemporary country singer Martina McBride kicks off the MSU Riley Center’s fall/winter season Thursday, Aug. 28.

Dear old Golden Rule days: Resolve to make this school year a healthier one

For baby boomers, the month of August represented a whole third of summer vacation. Today, the advent of August means school bells. Golden Triangle students return to classrooms next Wednesday and Thursday in their respective counties. Transitions are ahead, including the one from mom’s kitchen to the school cafeteria.

Summer musical promises ‘magical’ entertainment

Rogers and Hammerstein’s musical tale of Cinderella comes to life in West Point Friday and Saturday, Aug. 1-2. The West Point/Clay County Arts Council’s summer musical begins at 7 p.m. in the Center Stage Auditorium located at Central School, 634 E. Westbrook St.

You scream, I scream: Bully’s cold treat keeps gaining in popularity

You may have seen the same clip on national news that I did: July is National Ice Cream Month, and has been since 1984. As if we needed a special month, right?

Ice cream works any time of the year, but summer is its season to shine.

Trending now — Area grands put their personal spin on summer camp

Bess Swedenburg’s Camp Mayhew has been convening for more than 20 years, proving that the latest Grandma Camp craze is not all that new. This summer, four Lowndes County grandmas created personalized camps for their visiting grandchildren.

Step right up for a double dose of entertainment

For those bemoaning the coming wane of summer, droop no more. The Columbus Community Theatre (CCT) and Starkville Community Theatre (SCT) have remedies for the blahs. Each group has a production opening this week.

Chance to audition for ‘American Idol’ coming to Meridian

Trying to earn a spot on Fox Network’s “American Idol” comes a little closer to home for aspiring Golden Triangle area singers.

Hey, you do-it-yourselfers: Columbus now has a community garden

Invasive nutgrass can’t hide from Sarah Sanders. Kneeling beside a wood-framed garden plot Tuesday, she eradicated stray intruders bold enough to show their green faces in a bed of peppers.

“Look how easy that came up. I grew up in the Delta, and you can’t pull a weed up there — you’ve got to dig it out!” she beamed.

Starkville’s Forks & Corks to welcome MasterChef winner

Fox Network’s MasterChef 2010 Season One winner Whitney Miller will add an extra dimension to the Starkville Area Arts Council’s Forks & Corks fundraiser July 25-26.

Columbus receives National Main Street accreditation

Columbus is among Mississippi cities designated as having accredited National Main Street Programs, the National Main Street Center and Mississippi Main Street Association announced Wednesday.

Operation Christmas Child hosts ‘Christmas in July’

Operation Christmas Child Regional Manager Shelli Wisard of Atlanta will be in Columbus Saturday, July 19 to share experiences she had on a recent trip to distribute OCC shoeboxes in the Philippines.