All results / Stories / Amber Helsel
Picnicking for ‘Jubilee’
Margaret Walker Center Director Robert Luckett says that it is remarkable that author and poet Margaret Walker, who was an African American woman, chose to live her life in Jackson, a place that treated people of color and women much more harshly at the time.
Hannah Lawrence
Hannah Lawrence says she had a normal childhood up until the age of 13. She made good grades and loved to play sports such as soccer. Then, a bout with viral encephalitis left her with scar tissue on her brain.
Running a 5K in Your Shoes
Races are a thing in Jackson; here's a list of the 5Ks and other races coming up.
Eat Healthier, Shop Local
Businesses such as Sweet & Sauer, which specializes in fermented foods, give Jacksonians healthier food choices.
Local Adventurers Wanted
As I've gotten older, I've realized the importance of home—and also how expensive it is to move and travel all the time.
Jordan Alexis Holley
Jordan Alexis Holley traces what inspired her to get into the culinary world to one meal she had wile visiting friends in France. Her friend made leek soup, and Holley says she ate almost the whole pot.
Learning From a Curious Monkey
In the special exhibit room at the Mississippi Children's Museum, which currently houses the "Curious George: Let's Get Curious" visiting exhibit, the sound of children playing fills the space.
Shop, Give, Live Local
Shopping local isn't something I necessarily thought about until I came to work at the Jackson Free Press, which puts great emphasis on helping locally owned businesses.
Grow Roots, Wings Where You’re Planted
Once upon a time, I was one of the young people who wanted to get out of this place. In early high school, I imagined that after college, I would travel everywhere, living somewhere for two years at a time. I would go to England and France and Japan and see more of the U.S. than I had before.
Ice Cream Truckers
Chunky Dunks Sweets Truck is an ice-cream food truck, and the only one of its kind in the state of Mississippi.
On the Road Again
Road trips can be fun, but they can also be a hassle. After traveling a bunch over the last few months, I've picked up on some tips that make road trips go a lot smoother. Here are 9 of them.
Small City, Big Ideas
It's easy to go to a city like Memphis and think to yourself how little a place like Jackson has ... and how little it can feel.
Chrissy Walter's Funkadelic Family
Meet Chrissy Walter, Godfather of Funk George Clinton's daughter (and publicist).
Disappointed in Rankin County
It seems odd that in a state like ours, instead of passing laws that help us get off the bottom of good lists and from the top of bad lists, some legislators create bills like this one, which are about power and control.
Working on a Different Canvas
While not altogether unfamiliar, Chuck Taylors are a unique medium to work with for many artists, despite being made from canvas. For Martha Ferris, the sneakers' material actually presented an interesting challenge.
Jim Dollarhide
On Thursday, March 16, Jim Dollarhide's home near Lake Cavalier in Madison went up in flames, and on Wednesday, March 23, Madison County Coroner Alex Breeland confirmed that they found the filmmaker's body in the wreckage.
Wade Patterson
Growing up, Wade Patterson wanted to be a novelist. But after reading the book "Moviemakers' Master Class" by Laurent Tirard ($16, Faber & Faber, 2002) during high school, he decided he wanted to be a filmmaker.
Ann Saunders
The three front galleries of the Arts Center of Mississippi are covered in creations from Jackson-based artist Ann Saunders.
Rashanna Newsome
As the sous chef at The Manship Wood Fired Kitchen in Belhaven, Rashanna Newsome is a female in a male-dominated profession—a fact that has never stifled her passion for the culinary arts.
Living Food
Liquid Light Cafe is Jackson's first raw-food restaurant, nestled in a space beside the Regions Plaza courtyard on Capitol Street.