People

Patriot to Golden Eagle

Moving from Winona Christian to Madison Ridgeland Academy in the ninth grade, John White’s continued dream to be a quarterback has risen to the next level – Division I competition at the University of Southern Mississippi. Now in his first semester in Hattiesburg the record-setting senior MRA quarterback is learning a new campus, making new friends and tackling a new playbook.

Artist Adrianne Penny

Adrianne Penny paints houses. The Hazlehurst native has moved a bit with her Presbyterian Minister husband, Robert, and she’s taken her paintbrush and watercolor tools with her on each stop. With a lifelong love of art, she’s made a lifetime of putting her artistic paintbrush to work and enjoying every stroke. 

MS Sports Hall of Fame Calls Duease for 2024 Class

Gregg Popovich has 1,399 (and counting) NBA wins, Mike Krzyzewski retired with 1,202 NCAA Division 1 wins. Retired Arkansas High School Coach John Hutchcraft hung up his coaching whistle with 2,016 total wins. But Madison Ridgeland Academy’s Richard Duease isn’t far behind at 1,819 wins (12/26/23) – 592 of those coming as a girls Head Coach. MRA’s Coach Duease just keep winning and adding to a total they may never be attained by another coach. But “Rat” just keeps producing solid teams, great players and more notches in that Hall of Fame Coaching belt that includes the MRA Hall of Fame and the MAIS Hall of Fame. This coming August, Duease will join the 2024 Class for the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame that includes Eli Manning and the late famed broadcaster Red Barber. 

Mississippi Angels – Dance Team with a Mission

Dance and cheer teams are nothing new. The crisp, in sync performances to mashed up top hit music with pom poms and flashy outfits have energized schools and fan bases for decades. But there’s one dance team that actually has a mission – the Mississippi Angels. The dozen plus girls and coaches came together when on a whim, Carissa Gardner had a humorous “what if” conversation with Madison Alderwoman Sandra Strain earlier this year. 

Flora Pharmacy Brings Town Together

Madison County is without question one of the most desirable places to work and live in Central Mississippi. With that growing popularity has come an overwhelming amount of suburban sprawl. The rural serenity once a hallmark of Madison County is rapidly disappearing. That said, an increasing number of people are gravitating to the last small town in Madison County, the picturesque historic town of Flora. 
Past Issues
FOOD & DRINK
Food

Flora Supper Club

On a rainy night, thirty souls braved the bad weather to drive to Flora for a unique dinner experience. They entered a small brick building next to the railroad tracks where they were greeted inside by beautifully set communal tables lined with softly glowing votive candles. An artful multi-level charcuterie board was heavy with sausages, pastrami, and other savory meats along side a variety of cheeses, peppers, grapes and more. Each guest was offered a glass of rose’ and invited to visit amongst themselves. Soon the guests were asked to be seated as The Flora Supper Club was about to begin.

Original “HogWine” Family Recipe Becomes Success 

What began as an original family recipe has become a beloved sauce that can be found in stores everywhere, and Keeper of the Sauce David Wilson said it all stems back to his uncle’s masterpieces in the kitchen.  

The Turquoise Chandelier Cake Company 

Within months of opening her popular new Flowood bakery in November 2021, Amy McNeill quickly realized there was a very sweet opportunity just waiting for her to share her talents in Madison County, as well.

The Pickle Farmer

Pickles are the easiest way to improve sandwiches or add a little crunch and flavor to any meal really. Next to a cold drink, there is nothing more satisfying than the snap and crunch of a juicy pickle spear fresh out of the fridge on a hot summer day. They are one of life's simplest joys and you can make them at home.

Friday Night Porch Party

There is something about the way the words “Friday night” roll off the tongue that evokes a little excitement in most people. For many, it signals the end of the workweek and an excuse to unwind. 

Drinks

Floradora

It is hard to discover a new cocktail. My friend Kennedy Flora and his family and friends found this out about a year-and-a-half ago one weekend in Oxford. I am not sure if they were celebrating a …

White Russian

For all its faults, American consumer culture ushered in post-World War II made the promise that luxuries would be available to everyone. Cars raced off the lots and television sets virtually lept off the shelves but the unsung victory was won at the supermarket. Ingredients for a cake, something people had to scrape together for special occasions for generations prior, were readily available on fully stocked shelves in every supermarket and grocery store in the nation.

Dark ’N Stormy

We love easy cocktails. Maybe two, three ingredients max, stirred in a glass or shaken over ice.

Frosé

Something is refreshing about the word Rosé, the way it rolls off the tongue evokes images of linen clothes and leisure.

Hurricane

What we think of as culture is rarely outright created, rather it evolves from a variety of existing cultures and influences. Tiki culture is no different. It is the ultimate pastiches of ancient superstitions of far-flung islands, surfer wisdom and the collected lore of all seafaring men brought under an umbrella in post-World War II America by a veteran named Ernest Raymond Gantt, better known as “Don the Beach Comber” or just “Donn Beach”, and partially lost again to history to be reconstructed by a whole slew of beach bums, bar owners, Hawaiian shirt enthusiasts, corporate entities and superstars like Kenny Chesney and Jimmy Buffett. 

History

The History of the Canton Flea Market

Canton’s fall Flea Market is widely considered the event that officially kicks off the holiday season in the metro and serves as one of the county’s brightest treasures for family and friends to experience. 

The Search for the Real D.B. Cooper

A Ridgeland-based attorney, Madison County Native and amateur sleuth, along with a small team of fellow internet investigators, has developed a novel suspect in a well-known case that has left the Federal Bureau of Investigation scratching their heads for the past fifty years.

Allison's Wells

For nearly 100 years, northeast Madison County was home to a pair of resorts known for their baths and swimming holes drawn from local wells and springs. According to the late Canton historian Jim Lacey Jr., Artesian Springs enjoyed its “heyday” in the 1850s and was burned to the ground during the Civil War whereas Allison’s Wells came into being at the turn of the century and went strong until it burned in January of 1963.

Madison shows its roots with historical markers 

Most people may not know just how much history is behind the City of Madison, and that it started as nothing more than just a train stop. 

Mississippi's Hollywood

Canton became a town in 1936 but became a Hollywood star in the 1990s. The county seat of Madison County has long been a gathering place for business and the legal doings but the central Mississippi picturesque hamlet has become a favorite of the motion picture industry. Ever since Matthew McConaughey came to town to conquer his first leading man role in a feature film, A Time to Kill, the first John Grisham novel to get the Hollywood big screen treatment, the city has had key lights and gaffers and more scurrying about. 
Culture

Sax to the max at MSO’s ‘Ultimate Fusion’

Mississippi Symphony Orchestra thrills with a sweep of 20th century masterworks in the season finale of its flagship Bravo series, “Ultimate Fusion.” A stellar saxophone spotlight and Shostakovich’s profound and triumphant Symphony No. 5 are concert hallmarks, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 13, at Thalia Mara Hall in Jackson.

Mississippi Metropolitan Ballet presents "Alice in Wonderland"

The Mississippi Metropolitan Ballet, under the artistic direction of Jennifer Beasley, will present the fairytale ballet “Alice in Wonderland” at Jackson Academy Performing Arts Center at 2 and 7 pm on March 23 and at 2 pm on March 24. With choreography by award-winning choreographer Charles Maple, the ballet is an action-packed adventure with all the wacky and wonderful characters from the beloved childhood classic: from the White Rabbit to the Queen of Hearts to the Mad Hatter. The ballet will feature more than 80 dancers from the metro-Jackson area. Patrons will have the opportunity to take tea with the Mad Hatter himself at the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, following the matinee performances.

Ballet in Central Mississippi: The Magical Journey of the Mississippi Metropolitan Ballet

The state of Mississippi has long been renowned for its cultural diversity and soulful rhythms. The artistic landscape in Mississippi is rich in the realms of music, literature, and visual arts. Names like B.B. King, Eudora Welty, and Walter Anderson have become synonymous with our state.  As for the performing arts, and specifically dance, it is hard to compete with states like New York, who boast the Great White Way, the Metropolitan Opera, and two of the greatest ballet companies in the world: the New York City Ballet and American Ballet Theatre.  But, Mississippi holds its own! The USAIBC (United States International Ballet Competition) is the most respected and renowned ballet competition in the world, and is held in Jackson every four years.  Truly, the WORLD of ballet descends upon Mississippi every time the Competition rolls around.  But what about the years in between the IBC?  Luckily, central Mississippi has an abundance of local dance talent, and the Mississippi Metropolitan Ballet has been contributing to that portion of our artistic landscape for the past 30 years. 

USA IBC Brings the World to Our Doorstep

The dazzle of the USA International Ballet Competition goes far beyond the artistic athleticism of its brilliant young dancers, the thrill of their keen competition and the sparkle of tomorrow’s stars on the stage.

Audience Favorite “Frozen Heart” Returns to Stage

Mississippi Metropolitan Ballet, under the direction of Jennifer Beasley, presents the full-length ballet “Frozen Heart” on Saturday, March 25, at 3:00 p.m. and Sunday, March 26, at 2:00 p.m. at Jackson Academy Performing Arts Center. Based on “The Snow Queen” fairytale by Hans Christian Andersen and set to a classic score by Hugo Alfven, the ballet features nearly 100 local dancers who are members of the ballet company and guest artists from Ballet Memphis and Manassas Ballet Theatre.