Last weekend I pondered the many uses of newspapers beyond reading them as my husband and I used a stack of old ones while washing windows at our house.

Nothing beats the bounty of fresh produce we can get in the Magnolia State, but shopping at a grocery store just isn’t the same as shaking the hand of a local farmer and hearing all about the most recent veggie haul.

The term “quantum” might crop up from time to time in any discussion about engineering. And that would be an appropriate way to describe the leap made by The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) in the Best Engineering Schools – Graduate rankings released this week by U.S. News & World Report.

If you pass through my neighborhood over the weekend, you are sure to smell the smoke from someone’s backyard grill. Yup, it’s that time of the year. Sunday brunch is my favorite time to grill, invite a few friends over, pair a good bottle of wine with whatever it is you are throwing on the grill, and, just relax!

Early summer always brings the fun antics of one of my favorite kinds of insects – June Bugs – more properly known as June Beetles or May Beetles. For most of us, especially in the South, a bug is any kind of insect. For entomologists, like myself, a bug is a member of a different group entirely – but I digress. As for the pronunciation of “bug”, that is another topic altogether and as far as I am concerned, up to the speaker. Cajuns would just say betaille.

Growing up in rural Mississippi, books were always a big part of my life. In fact, my school librarian was one of my absolute favorite people in my little world. (She still is, even after five decades.) 

It’s officially summer! Although we don’t really need a calendar to let us know that summer is here, June 20 marked the summer solstice, also known as the official first day of summer. 

The Country Squire was opened in August of 1970 by Jim and Gwen Reeves and has been a tradition for many families for over 50 years. Mr. and Mrs. Reeves worked to create a pipe and cigar experience that offered the finest smoking products and accessories for the sophisticated enthusiast.

Chanda Clifton and her sister Megan Weaver own Amory Flowers and Gifts. The business has been a cornerstone in the community for several decades and has been owned by the sisters for two years now. Amory, Mississippi, has proven time and time again that it is a small town with a huge heart; this week was no different.

Here in the Hospitality State we have been known to use some unique phrases in our everyday conversation. Some of these are self-explanatory, while others make it seem like the Sip (Mississippi) has its own language.

As the days brighten and the evenings stretch out, this idyllic season beckons us to revel in one of life’s simple yet profound pleasures: alfresco dining. 

DatingAdvice.com ran a survey of 3,000 seasoned (no pun intended) foodies to identify the 150 most romantic locations for al fresco dining in 2024. The top 10 were as follows: 

Most folks know the legacy of the Mississippi boy who grew up to be a family man, military veteran, devout Christian, kind-hearted giver, and of course, the musical legend known as the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll.

The Mississippi Gulf Coast’s premier hotel, The White House Hotel, is an elegant combination of the Biloxi days gone by with even better days to come.

The American Prize National Nonprofit Competitions in the Performing Arts – David (Volosin) Katz, founder and chief judge – has announced that The Hub City Players production of Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” has been named a finalist for the American Prize in Musical Theatre.

Maybe it’s because we celebrated Memorial Day just a few weeks ago.

Maybe it’s because we recently observed the 80th anniversary of D-Day.

Maybe it’s because I just completed the striking novel, The Women, by Kristen Hannah. (More on that later.)

Maybe it’s because the Fourth of July is upon us.

Building on the previous two years of success, Mississippi State again is offering a highly interactive summer experience for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder—possibly the only camp of its kind in the U.S.—which now has proven a successful camp-to-college path for participants.