All results / Stories / Amber Helsel

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Of Pirates and Zombies and Sherlock Holmes

When the zombie apocalypse came to small Mississippi town Ovett, people acted immediately, killing zombies and eventually throwing one of them off a bridge. As all this happened, Curtis Everitt kept his camera rolling. Everitt is the director of photography for Blair Kelly's upcoming film, "Splat," for which the bridge is one of the settings.

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Fifty-Four Hours to Startup Launch

While some people got off work and headed into a typical Friday night on March 1, about 45 people gathered at Coalesce for an event that would give them an insight into entrepreneurship: Startup Weekend Jackson.

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Caring for Natural Hair with Fran Alexander

Though Signature Hair Lounge specializes in weaves, Fran Alexander is knowledgeable about all types of hair. The Jackson Free Press recently talked to her over the phone about caring for natural hair.

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EDITOR'S NOTE: Women, Don’t Apologize

As women, we need less criticism and more support. We need people who will step up and remind us of all that we've accomplished.

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John Spann

When Mississippi Civil Rights Museum Curator of Education John Spann was in high school, history came easy to him. "It wasn't like geometry or anything, and I got it," he says.

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The Sweet Potato Queens Come Home

Earlier this year, parade cofounder Malcolm White asked her if she could give he and the other organizers a date for when the Sweet Potato Queens would be part of the parade. She said this year. Then, as soon as the play was ready to be licensed, she immediately called New Stage Theatre Creative Director Francine Thomas Reynolds and asked if the company would consider the production for this season.

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Cultivating Growth in Women Business Owners

Something sets Cultivation Food Hall apart: women-owned businesses. Of the nine businesses there, women have full ownership of four—Ariella's, Poke Stop, Fauna and Whisk—and co-own il Lupo and Bocca Pizzeria.

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Richard Sun, Mississippi Coding Academies

While Richard Sun spent most of his working life maximizing shareholder value, he says Mississippi Coding Academies, of which he is a co-founder, is about maximizing human capital.

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King (Cakes) for a Day

If you live anywhere in or near the Gulf Coast from Louisiana to Alabama, chances are king cakes are pretty prevalent. Here is where you can 
enjoy some of the local versions.

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EDITOR'S NOTE: Moving Forward in #TheNext200

Previous iterations of TEDxJackson commemorated areas such as Mississippi's space program and the state's bicentennial, but instead of looking at the last 200 years, this year's TEDx focused on the next 200.

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EDITOR'S NOTE: Doing Good Things in JXN

In a 2008 study, researchers at Harvard University found that doing good deeds raises a person's level of happiness. Other studies have shown that happiness can create a positive feedback loop in your brain.

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Metaphor in the Mississippi River

The Great Flood of 1927 affected many cities in Mississippi, including Greenville, the setting of New Stage Theatre's production of Marcus Gardley's "Hell in High Water."

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EDITOR'S NOTE: One Person, One City in Jackson

Community is one of my favorite topics to discuss, and it's something we should all put more emphasis on. After all, if you look at it from the universe's perspective, all humans are one giant community.

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Ring in the Jackson New Year

2018 has flown by fast, and 2019 is fast approaching. Celebrate the new year with these events from local businesses, restaurants and people.

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New York-Style Deli to Open in Jackson

In crafting the menu for Ariella's NY Delicatessen, Alivia Ashburn-Townsend developed deli staples such as the frankfurter with sauerkraut, along with Italian items she thought would complement the restaurant's theme.

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Lisa Potts

While working with Teach for America from 2011 to 2013, current Woodward Hines Education Foundation Communications and Impact Coordinator Lisa Potts says she saw a lot of needs among the students and also noticed the need for more resources.

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Season’s Eatings

The Jackson metro area has plenty of food options for the holidays, with many restaurants serving specialty items and offering take-home meals.

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Gifting Local Joy

Christmas is coming up soon! Do you have all your shopping done? Here are some handmade and local ideas.

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Cultivating the Technology Sprout

If you have ever used the camera search tool on the Amazon app, you can, in part, thank the team behind Partpic, including Jackson native Nashlie Sephus, the owner of The Bean Path, a technology and entrepreneurial nonprofit.

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Sweets & Succulents

The first thing people might see when they walk into The Prickly Hippie is not the titular "prickly" cacti, but instead a bevy of soft sweets in the dessert case.