My husband and I drove to Moss on April 29 this year to see the tornado damage. I was shocked and saddened to see the devastation. 

Mississippi in May. The air is deliciously heavy with honeysuckle, sweet olive and magnolias. Purple wisteria droops heavily over wrought-iron fences, azaleas providing a frame.

I once read that it takes six months to get used to a new job. In the first few weeks after having Bradley Kate, I kept thinking, “What have I done?” and “When will this get better?”  

Many businesses have been severely affected during the COVID-19 crisis. Restaurants and live-music venues may have been hit the hardest. On the other hand, grocery stores and liquor stores have seen phenomenal sales increases. Reports indicate that liquor stores are up anywhere from 27 perce…

My son and daughter just finished a semester of college at home, sitting in our pool house. They had it easy. Once the pandemic hit and all classes were switched to online computer classes, life got much simpler for them. Both finished with good grades and a sun tan.

I have a long-overdue apology to make. In the early days of my writing career, I used a lot of column inches making fun of my wife’s cooking. We were newlyweds and she was learning her way around the kitchen. I was thinking about how she used to cook the other day as she was preparing anothe…

Ever notice how a cat can’t help raising its rear when you stroke its back? Vines do the same thing. Sorta.

It’s graduation season. But in 2020, there will be only a few commencement ceremonies, no caps, no gowns, no cords and no commencement addresses. The world might be a little better off for the lack of the latter, as I am not sure anyone ever remembers what was said during their commencement …

Critical times inspire creative methods.

By Felder Rushing

Hello to you, the socially-distanced. Here we are straight out of the Westerns I used to watch with my dad.   

A couple of decades ago, an editor at one of my newspapers called and said, “Robert, we need to work on your opening sentences and your opening paragraphs.” I think what he was really wanting to say was, “Robert, we need to work on all of your writing from the opening sentence to the closing…

By Lakyn Prince

An emphasis on community building, academic excellence and clear, consistent communication are at the core of the successful distance-learning program under way at Laurel Magnet School of the Arts. When the district closed its buildings in mid-March due to COVID-19, Laurel Magnet School of t…

Four educators from the Pine Belt received scholarships by the Mississippi Professional Educators.

I got ambushed by a powerful fragrance while busting out of the cabin for an early evening walk around the neighborhood. It was cloyingly sweet.

A group of about 30 people from Christ's Church in Laurel gathered April 18 in the parking lot of South Central Regional Medical Center for a special service. Music was provided by Kim Guined and Rocky Mitchell. Worshiping are, from left, Veronica Ducksworth, Bobbie Heidelberg, an unidentifi…

If there is one thing that defines my family’s current situation in the middle of this pandemic, it’s togetherness. My wife, 22-year-old daughter and 18-year-old son have spent more quality time together than we have since 2011, when we crammed into a Volvo in Sweden and spent the next six m…

In the 20-plus years I have written this weekly column, I have covered all manner of topics. In the early days, many of the subjects and themes were awkward and silly, as it took a few years to find my voice. I write a lot about food and the food business and try my best to steer clear of wr…

This weekend, a friend asked me, “How’s it going?”

Initiative calls for creating a contact list of elders to check on in the community

Brenda Anderson of West 29th Street invited the Leader-Call out for a photo of her blossoming viburnum snowball bush, a massive shrub whose flowers begin as green, fade to white and eventually become a rosy color. These shrubs are normally planted in the spring or fall in a spot with lots of…

At 11:44 a.m. on Wednesday, March 4, we welcomed Bradley Kate Prince into this world. Weighing 8 pounds, 7 ounces, she is every bit as perfect as she is chunky. We are so thankful for a healthy baby girl. However, our real challenge will begin as we navigate two under 2.

Good Day, Regular People.                      

Lakeshia Ramsey of Laurel and her 5-year-old daughter Maison weren’t quarantined inside on a beautiful spring day. They went roller-skating at the Sportsplex on Wednesday afternoon, enjoying the fresh air and sunshine while school is out and many businesses are shut down to help combat the s…

Gardening and home cooking have a lot in common, creating sustenance and comfort by combining basic ingredients using simple techniques.

MARCH 17 — Good morning, everyone. We are living in strange and scary times. The atmosphere around the restaurants is very surreal. It’s almost as if we are living in a movie — and not a lighthearted romantic romp, a whacky screwball comedy or even a big-business drama — but a disaster movie…

A week ago this morning, I was in New Orleans on a quick getaway with my wife. While reading the newspaper at my usual breakfast spot that morning, I noticed a story that mentioned that the legendary New Orleans restaurant, the Bon Ton Café, would be closing at the end of the week. Friday wo…

The Garden Clubs of Laurel and Jones County came together for a work day to prune and weed the grounds at the Veterans Memorial Museum. From left, Jayne Cooper, Becky Brewer, Jan Smith, Mary Anne Sumrall, Brenda Rogers, Elizabeth Barnes, Judy Bush, Sherra Browning and photographer Erin Hicks. 

The Ellisville Garden Club has selected the home of Rick and Sandra Sumrall at 16 Neil Road for the March Yard of the Month. This spacious Italian house has the perfect landscape to accent every feature of the architectural design and the long circular driveway that is accented with a concre…

When I look over the past two decades in my life as a parent of a daughter and son, there are many moments that make me want to swell with pride. I remember the time my elementary school-aged daughter befriended a girl in her Sunday school who announced to the class that she had no friends. …

For the past 20 years this column has covered hundreds of topics, some obscure, some newsworthy. It’s mostly a food column, but I write a lot about travel and family.

The February meeting was at the First United Methodist Church of Ellisville with 17 members present. Members enjoyed delightful Mardi Gras-themed refreshments.

It’s amazing to me how some parents have it figured out automatically and from the start. Some just get it. I don’t know if parenting was an intuitive thing for me or not. I feel like I was pretty good at it. If I wasn’t it wasn’t for lack of trying. I think I focused the things that needed …

Several years ago, country music icon and noted Mississippian Marty Stuart and I were on the dais of a radio show. While we were each waiting our turn to go on the air, we struck up a conversation about one of my favorite subjects —  and most certainly one of his — our home state of Mississippi.

Lauren Rogers Museum of Art, along with The Laurel Garden Club, will present its annual Garden Lecture on Thursday at 10:30 a.m. at the museum.  Nationally known arborist Robert “Bob” Thibodeaux will be the featured speaker.  

Just a little over 32 years ago, I was a few weeks into the honeymoon phase of my first restaurant opening. There have been 17 other openings since then. They have all been stressful and hectic, but there is something about the first one that holds such a special place in my heart.

Last week, a Facebook ad crossed my timeline in search of recent college graduates who might be interested in driving a hot dog on wheels all over the country for a year. Most people would be shocked reading such a solicitation. I, however, didn’t give it a second glance. I am an expert in r…