Browsing: People

The foundation for Liza-Handly Hughes’ storytelling ability was cemented at the University of Mississippi’s Center for the Study of Southern Culture. Now, the recent alumna puts those skills to use as a sports content researcher for ESPN.

The glitz and glamour of owning a business is actually the sun’s reflection hitting the sweat and tears that comes from the entrepreneurial journey. That reality is not designed to discourage others from taking that route, but one entrepreneur in Moss Point is sharing the hard truths of owning a business. 

Twenty years before Kirklyn Johnson stood in front of thousands of onlookers at his 2026 Mississippi State commencement ceremony to sing the national anthem, his parents were told he might never speak a word.

Whether you are looking for a daylong family outing, a camping location or a special event nestled among the trees along the flowing Escatawpa River, Presley’s Outing is your one-stop location.

He knew what he wanted to say. But the words didn’t come so easily for the young Cade Culpepper—when and if they did.

Until about age three, the Laurel, Miss., native experienced a language delay that presented a communication challenge for him. Typically, by 12 months of age, children say their first word or words if no speech or language challenges are present.

A documentary available on Netflix chronicling the story of America includes a prominent historian as a voiceover — who also happens to be a member of The University of Southern Mississippi faculty.

There is a side of college football that fans rarely get to see.

Long before a player’s name appears on a roster or echoes through a stadium, coaches spend months getting to know him. They study film, make phone calls, visit schools and have countless conversations about not only the athlete, but the young man behind the highlights.

Nestled in the historic Cotton Row in Cleveland, MS, is an award-winning wood-fired restaurant, Leña Pizza + Bagels. Founded in 2023 by world-renowned chef Marisol Doyle and her husband, Rory, Leña is widely recognized for its exceptional wood-fired pizzas and was named one of the Top 22 Pizzerias in the United States by the New York Times and has been listed as a top pizzeria in the South and the U.S. by 50 Top Pizza and Southern Living. But Marisol began her culinary journey in Cleveland with fresh bagels.

One of the first times I met Calvin was at a local event. He had a table covered with watercolors, colored pencils, paper, and every kind of art supply imaginable, all there for children to use. He wasn’t selling anything. He simply wanted kids to sit down, create, and discover the joy of making art. Looking back, I realize that little table perfectly represented who Calvin was. He believed creativity should never be limited by someone’s age, background, or ability to pay.

Once a teacher, always a teacher, but the subject matter and students can change after retirement. Moving from elementary students to floral designing and working with adult floral designers has been a rewarding change for Wanda Norton.

A Starkville couple is making their way across Mississippi one county seat at a time with a single goal: to pray over each community and encourage others to see the state in a more positive light. 

With a backpack on his shoulders, several phones in hand and thousands of thousands still ahead, Jack Kadis walked into Gautier on Thursday as part of his goal to walk the outline of the continental United States. 

The quote “Bloom where you are planted,” has a new meaning and purpose through the Dream Foundation’s program, The Bloom…

Kenzie Claire Burchfield was always going to attend Mississippi State University.

The daughter of current and retired MSU employees, Burchfield did not need much convincing to become a Bulldog. However, when she heard her friends at Starkville High School discuss a three-week summer theater camp “that sounded amazing” on the university’s campus, she knew she had to be there.

There is no place like home, and those words come from a person who literally has seen the whole world but has chosen to return to his childhood home in Mississippi for his retirement.

The Heirloom Hotel in downtown Laurel, Mississippi, is a boutique hotel created by HGTV’s Home Town stars Erin and Ben Napier, along with their business partners. The massive restoration transformed the historic 1930s Kress department store into a 29-bedroom hotel. Unfortunately, a devastating accidental electrical fire in August 2025 heavily damaged the property, leaving the insurance claim and rebuilding process ongoing. The entire restoration and ultimate demise of the building were featured on the HGTV series Home Town: Inn This Together, starring the Napirs and the vested families, Joshua and Emily Nowell, and Jim and Mallorie Rasberry.