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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.

The Bedazzler

Like many little girls, I acquired a deep love of sequins, costumes, and song and dance around the age of 3. This love never diminished as I grew older. Thus, while I'm an otherwise normally functioning adult, I don't think twice about wearing sequined shorts just because it's Friday night and coming up with theme-party ideas and costumes for any occasion (or none at all). In my head, my life is a musical that includes theme songs and choreography at pivotal moments—which brings me to my brush with Broadway and a bedazzled boot.

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Chris and Shalon Wansley

Chris and Shalon Wansley love exchanging gifts. "We pride ourselves on being gift givers," Chris says. On the anniversary of their first date, Chris, 32, took Shalon, 28, to dinner and gifted her with an iPod. Later on that evening, he took the gift giving to another level.

Commissioner Opposes Plant, Despite Ruling

Mississippi Power Company customers may be paying for up to $2.88 billion in costs for the new experimental coal-burning power plant, based on a Harrison County Chancery Court judge's decision.

Burton: Schimmel Pushed Edwards' Ouster

George Schimmel, member of the Jackson Public Schools Board of Trustees, drove the board's consideration of whether to replace Superintendent Lonnie Edwards, said Otha Burton, his fellow board member, today. Testifying at an ongoing hearing on Edwards' contract, Burton said that he did not see adequate reasons for replacing the superintendent when his contract expires at the end of June.

Grammy Museum Planned for Delta

The Grammy Museum, located in Los Angeles, Calif., will open another location in Cleveland, Miss., Bob Santelli, the museum's executive director, said today. Speaking at the Mississippi Economic Council's annual meeting today in Jackson, Santelli said that like the original location in Los Angeles, the Cleveland museum's mission will be primarily educational.

Deficit Hawks Push Oil Tax Breaks

U.S. Sens. Thad Cochran and Roger Wicker both voted May 18 to maintain $2 billion in annual tax breaks to the world's five largest private oil companies.

Animal Cruelty Bill Clears Major Hurdle

Cruelty to cats and dogs would become a felony in Mississippi under Senate Bill 2821, which the House Agriculture Committee voted unanimously today to approve. The bill to make "aggravated cruelty to a dog or cat" a felony on the second offense now goes to the House Judiciary B Committee for consideration.

Jackson Jewel Thief Nabbed in Portland

Last January, a $255,000 ring disappeared from Juniker Jewelry Co. with the help of a thief who had a car waiting outside. This morning, Jackson Police Department Sgt. Ralph Lundstrom said police now have a suspect.

Teen Design Camp Needs Funding

Jackson is Art, a program of the Jackson Community Design Center, introduced 30 Jackson teens last year to architecture and urban design. Whitney Grant, co-director of JCDC, said the program showed students how to look at their city and understand how to make it better for the future.

Martha Foose

For Martha Foose, cooking isn't just about the food. It's about the company, the memories and the art of eating well.

AG Hood Promotes Mentor Program

Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood is looking for volunteers to mentor the children of incarcerated parents.

Court: Lampton Not Immune

Former U.S. Attorney Dunn Lampton does not have immunity for allegedly disclosing the confidential financial documents of former Mississippi Supreme Court Judge Oliver E. Diaz and his wife, Jennifer.

Fish and Funds Face Council

Fishing and financing are on the Jackson City Council agenda this week as the council considers reopening Livingston Park Lake for youth recreation and refunding a chunk of city debt.

Crossroads Film Review: ‘Dante'

The 20 minutes the Crossroads audience gets to see of Anita Modak-Truran's film-in-progress, "Dante," will undoubtedly leave them wondering, "What's up with Dante?"

Census Shows Jackson's ‘Flight Problem'

Also see: Ward Schaefer: Jackson 'White Flight' Slows In Last Decade

Malaco Picks Up the Pieces

Shards of metal, fiberglass insulation and water filled the inside of Malaco Records' recording studio as co-owner Tommy Couch Jr. recalled the notable musicians who have made music in the now-destroyed space.

Fondren Business Shuffle, Nightclub Reopens

The Orange Peel is moving. Owner Kristin Tubb says the Fondren consignment shop will open in its new location, at 422 Mitchell Ave., on March 10. As Fondren's retail and restaurant community has grown, the demand for parking has put the squeeze on The Orange Peel's current location at the corner of North State and Duling streets, Tubb said.

Edwards Resumes Arguing to Keep Job

A laudatory report that Jackson Public Schools Superintendent Lonnie Edwards has repeatedly cited as evidence of his good work dates back to 2009 and comes from an organization for which he serves as a board member. Edwards, who is currently mired in a hearing on his three-year contract with JPS, has used the report from the Council of the Great City Schools to makes the case for a contract extension.

HIV/AIDS Advocates Speak Out

Donna M., a homeless Jackson woman infected with HIV, threw away her medicine while living with family members, fearing that they would find out about the disease that she was trying to keep secret. Another Jackson resident, Thomas L., claims that many suffering from HIV/AIDS in Mississippi often tell family members that they have cancer and would rather die than have anyone know they have the disease.