Recent Commentary

OPINION: Colliding Toward Vienna; Strange, Random Kindness Amid a Merry Romp
Columnist Richard Coupe had a merry romp, and kind help from a connected Austrian, to get to Vienna on time.

OPINION: Women in Mississippi—So Strong and So Tough
"Over the 25 years that we have lived in Mississippi, we have taken quite a ribbing. Whenever we told them of our children's successes, they always scoffed and said 'but ...

Finding the Lost Battalion
The stuff of legends! There are many books and movies about the six days of hell the Lost Battalion endured.

The Children Who Died for Their Country
The aggressive militaristic posture Trump and those he surrounds himself with suggests the prospect of sending American troops into harm's way again, and they are discussing it as if it ...

Christmas 1971, Christmas 2016
I huddled in the doorway trying, without much success to get some relief from the blowing snow and the cold. The bowling alley had closed many hours before, and it ...

A Stranger in a Foreign Land
My heart skipped a beat and then pounded so hard that I thought it was coming out of my chest. What had the pretty little French store clerk said? My ...

An American in a French Bathroom
Bonjour, monsieur," she said sweetly, as she mopped around my feet. "Oh this is so uncomfortable," I thought to myself as I stood at the urinal and replied, "Bonjour, madam." ...

Thankful from Abroad
"Was moechten Sie?" the server asked. I stared at him rather stupidly; I knew that he was asking what kind of turkey I wanted, but he said it in German, ...

From France, With Love and Pain
If we chose to live in fear and base our decisions on our own safety instead of the needs of others, the terrorists win.

Under Siege in America
Sadly, I feel physically safer in France, with its baguette-eating, cigarette-smoking, non-church-going, slightly rude and less social population than with gun-toting, Bible-thumping Americans.
Recent Stories

Col. John B. Carter
Col. John B. Carter will be inducted as the next Commander of the Mississippi State Guard on April 24 at a ceremony at Camp Shelby.

Jason Dean
For Dr. Jason Dean, a passion for Mississippi and a drive to help his home state grow have guided his life and career.

Viola Dacus: Vocalist, Instructor, Mother
Dr. Viola Dacus vividly recalls one of the teaching moments that affirm her career choice of helping others develop their vocal performance.

Garner Music Academy: ‘Make the Music Happen’
In her hometown of Pocahontas, Miss., Latongya Garner developed her affinity for music at Baker's Grove Missionary Baptist Church, where she currently serves as music minister.

Jamie Shines
Jamie Shines' friends call her the "queen of the off-guard," for her love of taking spontaneous pictures of them when they least expect it. "I take the best off-guards ever," ...

Shower Power, ‘Loving the Homeless Back to Life’
Shower Power founder Teresa Renkenberger came up with the idea of converting a food truck into showers for the homeless while she was having a conversation with a homeless friend.

Family, Life’s Most Powerful Siren Song
A passion for music may have led Dawn Dixon across the Atlantic Ocean for a time, but her love for her family brought her back to her southern roots.

The Cat’s Out of the Bag
While Jon Lansdale never had formal culinary training, his appreciation for cooking provided the drive he needed to make his restaurant, Crazy Cat Eat Up, a staple in the Jackson ...

Ira Murray and the 'Spirit of Jackson'
Ira Murray made Jackson his home for a second time after accepting the position of president and CEO with the United Way of the Capital Area.

Christopher Kochtitzky: A Good Agent, A Good Man
Jackson lost a favored son on Sunday May 3 in the death of Christopher “Chris” Kochtitzky in Atlanta. “Chris was always interested in—and promoting—Jackson. He was our ‘ambassador’ so-to-speak at ...