Browsing: Community Picks

Thursday, April 11, 2024, started as a typical school day for the elementary students at Hayes Cooper Center (HCC) in Merigold, Mississippi, until it took an unfortunate turn. According to Cleveland School District Superintendent Dr. Lisa Bramuchi, at 7:25 a.m. that morning, a fire started in one classroom and affected another, injuring two teachers. 

The first Saturday in May kicks off one of two local events to raise money and awareness for organ donations and transplants.

The Run for the Roses Gala begins at 6 p.m. on Sat., May 4, at The Warehouse venue located at the end of DeVaughan Road in Agricola. Two weeks later, on May 18, the 5D Barrell Racing event starts at 9 a.m. at the George County Multi-Purpose Arena on Mississippi 63 south of Lucedale.

A lifelong passion for musical theater and a flair for teaching has been the motivation for Brenda Shows to operate StageStruck Performance Studio, a children’s theater program in Lamar County, for nearly 20 years.

Hotel Whiskey brings continued revitalization efforts to downtown Pascagoula and the ground-floor eatery Uncle Joe’s Pizza and Wings. The boutique hotel and eatery will contribute to an enhanced quality of life in Pascagoula while enhancing the downtown area, which prides itself on convenience and comfort.

Over 4,800 people attended the successful grand opening of The Sound Amphitheater on Friday, April 12. The $8 million state-of-the-art venue, a cornerstone of the Town Commons Project, significantly impacts both the City of Gautier and the broader Coastal region both economically and culturally.

The immensely popular FestivalSouth® brings more than 50 live art, music, theatre, and dance events to the Hattiesburg area May 28 through June 22, 2024. Featuring many University of Southern Mississippi (USM) faculty, alumni, students, and staff, the festival has become a mainstay, offering opportunities to performers and audiences alike.

ids need Kiwanis, and George County kids are lucky to have a thriving Kiwanis Club.
Lucedale Kiwanis Club celebrated its 25th anniversary this spring. The Lucedale chapter formed in 1999. Coe-Alice Sturgis is the only remaining active charter member of the group of 20-plus founders.

Chevron’s Pascagoula Refinery has donated its Mobile Command Vehicle (MCV) to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department. The MCV is a specially equipped vehicle that can serve as a mobile command center in emergency situations.

The City of Gautier is proud to announce that the Tour of Honor Motorcycle Ride has chosen Gautier’s Veterans Tribute Tower as one of its featured memorial sites for the 2024 ride. 

April is a busy month at JGRLS! Check out of all the events and happenings at your local library. 

The Eubankses own Eubanks Produce and Charlie’s U-Pick in George, Greene and Stone counties. The dynamic dirt duo informed and entertained members of the Ivy League Garden Club at its February meeting. Plants of all kinds are at the forefront of most garden club meetings. As spring approaches, gardening is likely on the minds of many folks.

There is something new on the horizon in education for George County.

New Horizons Academy is a new school with the motto “Soaring to New Heights with God and Education.” The school is nearing the completion of its second year of operation, and its leader foresees a bright future.

2024 En Plein Air Competition LeFleur’s Bluff State Park includes even more artists, coming in from all parts of Mississippi for this year’s competition. This event, brought to you by the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks and Pacesetter Gallery, will showcase 44 talented Mississippi artists as they paint LeFleur’s Bluff State Park competing for publication in Mississippi Wildlife magazine and cash prizes.

March is Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month (also called intellectual and developmental disabilities). You may see these written as “IDD” and / or “DD.” The color that represents DD month is orange. Orange symbolizes energy and positivity. Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month stands to represent how we can come together with those who have intellectual disabilities and form healthy, happy, safe, and overall conducive communities alongside them. 

Chevron’s Pascagoula Refinery announces open enrollment for the 2024 5C program will begin May 1, 2024. This program provides up to 60 members of the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce, Ocean Springs Chamber of Commerce or Mississippi Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce with five hours of complimentary marketing and advertising agency support from Chevron’s local agency partner, Christie Fountain Advertising, Inc., of Ocean Springs, Mississippi.

For those of us that are older (definition withheld), many of our fondest memories are that of simpler times and experiences with the characters that defined small towns. That was certainly true for me growing up in southwestern Louisiana where those characters shaped my view of the world and how simple acts were common.