Peyton Johnson Collins
Peyton Johnson Collins calls herself a high-heeled hippie. A wife, mother of two young children and a part-time employee at Lakeland Yard and Garden Center, Collins operates an almost 15,000-square-foot vegetable garden on a farm just north of Clinton. She works on her garden in her spare time with her friend and gardening partner Don Maxwell. "We are the labor," she says.
Sara Howard
It was already hot a few hours ago at 6 a.m. when Sara Howard showed up for training at Jackson State University. As a participant in the Paul Lacoste Sports Fit 4 Teaching Challenge, she has shown up for daily circuit training since last Tuesday. In this first week, she's already lost 8 pounds. After a few minutes of running this morning, Howard didn't notice the heat any more.
France Beard
France Beard, 17, was momentarily perplexed when she heard her name called at the Miss Mississippi Outstanding Teen competition Saturday night. She had been trying to fix a younger girl's dress on stage and didn't know why she was announced after the alternates had been named.
Meredith W. Sullivan
Meredith W. Sullivan regularly scours Jackson boutiques and vintage shops for hot fashion, cute clothes and good deals. Recently, she noticed Jackson had picked up the newest trends from the latest season's fashion shows in New York City.
K. Parish Harvey
Artist K. Parish Harvey's bubbly attitude and sweet face hides well the pain she's had to deal lately, a pain that her love and passion for art has helped her cope with.
Cathy Funches
Cathy Funches is driven to aid the less fortunate to find their way to a better quality of life. Funches has participated in many mission trips to developing countries. Just last year, she traveled to Bolivia to provide assistance to an orphanage. She realized, however, that her passion for helping the oppressed could be fulfilled at home.
Anna Kline
Within the past two weeks, Anna Kline saw the devastation of the Mississippi River flooding, wrote a song about it and played it during practice with her band. In the next few days, Anna Kline and the Grits & Soul Band sang the song on WLBT-TV, then recorded and produced the song, "Flood Waters."
Billy McCoy
Mississippi House Speaker Billy McCoy, 68, a Delta farmer from Rienzi, announced yesterday that he would not run again for his seat in the Mississippi House of Representatives.
LaRita Smith
LaRita Smith is exhausted. Not only has she been painting until 3 a.m. and cutting countless strips of paper for collages with glue-covered hands, she's been doing it at age 87.
Zandrea King
At 28, Zandrea King is a self-described up-and-coming professional who decided to take the path less traveled with her career choice.
Gov. Haley Barbour
"To the Freedom Riders yourselves, our state does celebrate and thank you for your courage, your commitment, your suffering and your sacrifices of 50 years ago. We apologize to you for your mistreatment in 1961, and we appreciate this chance for atonement and reconciliation."
Kayla Watkins
Kayla Watkins, Madison Central High School's head softball coach, is looking forward to her fast-pitch softball team winning the championship against Petal High School today and Saturday.
Wendi Reed
Rick Fremin, who became coach of the Jackson State University women's softball team in January, does not hesitate naming the on-the-field leader for the Lady Tigers. "Without question, one player I feel does not get enough media hype or exposure is Wendi Reed," he said.
Jeanne Luckett
Jeanne Luckett has a contagious enthusiasm for studying and preserving Mississippi's civil-rights legacy. She put her passion and energy to use helping to plan the 50th anniversary Freedom Riders reunion in Jackson from May 22 through May 26.
Shaunti Dennis
With the help of the community, The Journey Ministries Coordinator Shaunti Dennis is raising money for church members to take a mission trip to Tanzania, Africa, this summer. The goal of the mission is to help young girls who are victims of human and sex trafficking.