Amber Helsel

Rachel Phuong Le: Food’s Biggest Fan

Rachel Phuong Le is preparing to launch her own restaurant, Poké Stop, in Jackson as part of the incoming Cultivation Food Hall, set to open in the District at Eastover this summer.

Cultivating New Food

This summer, Jackson will have another addition to its food scene: the Cultivation Food Hall at The District at Eastover.

A Cheesy Good Time

The Belhaven Grilled Cheese Fest is on Sunday, April 29, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Brunch Bunch, 2018

Weekend brunch has really come into its own in recent years in the capital city. Now that spring has sprung, it's the perfect time to enjoy a leisurely late weekend break.

When St. Andrew's Episcopal School senior Kennedy Owens saw that many of Jackson Public School's third-graders did not pass the Third Grade Reading Gate Reading test in 2015, he knew he had to do something.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Simple Ideas for Effecting Change

A study from the Journal of the American Art Therapy Association shows that 45 minutes of visual art-making can lower stress levels in adults, and other studies show that for kids, creating art is often helpful in their development.

William Shakespeare

A couple of weeks before New Stage Theatre begins its latest production, "Shakespeare in Love," the rehearsal area is marked with tape, noting places on the stage such as the balcony, the tavern and The Rose Theatre.

Eats on the Move

As we get closer and closer to summer, it's time to start going outside more often, and we're seeing more food trucks popping up around the capital city. Let's celebrate the season with these Best of Jackson winners and finalists.

Mexico Meets South

Eddie Hernandez co-owns Taqueria del Sol, a chain of Mexican restaurants in Georgia. He recently published "Turnip Greens & Tortillas," which features his southern food-meets-Mexican recipes, with writer Susan Puckett.

Julie Seely

For Julie Seely, figure skating is a meeting point between athleticism and the arts.

Crossroads Goes Back to Its Roots

Crossroads Film Festival is going back to its roots this year, Festival Coordinator Michele Baker says.

Best of Jackson, Spring Edition

It's officially spring time, which means it's the season for things like sitting outside, enjoying cold beers and eating more seafood.

Of Bunnies and Brunch

There's plenty going on in and around Jackson for Easter this year. Here's just a few of them.

Business+Tech Events

For more business and technology-related events, check out jfpevents.com. For biz and tech news, visit jfp.ms/business.

EDITOR'S NOTE: All Those Crazy Jackson Ideas

When Mississippi Arts Commission Executive Director Malcolm White first moved to Jackson in 1979, he said it was a fairly straight-laced city where people went to work, church, school and raised their kids, but they would go out of town to do anything fun. He didn't like that, so he set out to change it.

Saint Patrick

People across the world celebrate St. Patrick's Day on March 17 with parades, festivals and a variety of revelry, but who exactly is Saint Patrick?

St. Paddy’s Celebrates 35 Years

Hal's St. Paddy's Parade (formerly known as the Mal's St. Paddy's Parade) may be a cultural staple of Jackson now, but for residents on their way home from work in 1983, its first iteration was simply the cause of a traffic jam in downtown.

Anime Fest Checklist

The Mississippi Anime Festival, which takes place March 10 at the Mississippi Trade Mart, brings together vendors, special guests, artists, cosplayers and more under one roof to celebrate Japanese animation and pop culture.

Happiest Hours

Happy hours are always one of the best ways to wind down from a busy week, and luckily, Jackson has some great choices.

Sergio Lugo II

Sergio Lugo II's day job is as a real-time operations supervisor for Comcast, but when he is not managing scheduling or performing other tasks for work, he hosts popular local podcast "Reality Breached."

Elizabeth Fowler: An Artist's Journey

Elizabeth Fowler, a Noxubee County native, says she liked the idea of art when she was a kid, but wasn't good at  representational drawing.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Creatives All In It Together

Artists need community. We need other people who will meet with us face to face, and give us helpful advice and tips, offer constructive criticism or answer our questions.

Sampling Jackson

Kreskin Torres pulls up a photo of a dish at 1693 Red Zone Grill on his phone: grilled fish and shrimp in a crawfish sauce on a bed of Cajun rice. "You see what I had to deal with?" Torres jokes.

Jenni Smith

For local activist and filmmaker Jenni Smith, the rights of women and members of the LGBT community are close to her heart.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Fresh Eyes on the Capital City

When dancers in the USA International Ballet Competition refer to the competition in Jackson (which, by the way, is the only one of its kind in the U.S.), they simply refer to it as "Jackson."

Mississippi Blues Marathon Comes Back

The sound of blues music and sneakers hitting the pavement will fill the streets of Jackson on Saturday, Jan. 27, during the Mississippi Blues Marathon.

Monique Ealey

Mississippi Children's Museum Outreach Coordinator Monique Ealey sees the facility as a resource for families and educators around the state, so for her, it's important that the museum has outreach programming.

Fannye Cook

Mississippians may often hear Fannye Cook's name in discussions of the state's history. Those who are not involved in the natural-science community may not know as much about her, however, other than her exhibit at the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science.

Meeko the Moon Bear

The Jackson Zoo announced on Dec. 18, 2017, that a new animal had recently arrived: Meeko the moon bear.

EDITOR'S NOTE: #TIMESUP for Sexual Harassment

The women who wore black at the Golden Globes and called men out are right. It's time we stopped being OK with gender inequality and sexual harassment, and those micro-aggressions toward women.

Starry Skies and Sneakers

If you know me, you probably know that Converse Chuck Taylor sneakers are one of my most favorite things in the world. I have probably about 10 to 15 pairs. (I haven't counted lately).

EDITOR'S NOTE: Moving On from the Dumpster Fire of 2017

Between social media, podcasts, the radio and more, it's really hard to miss the news right now. Really, really hard.

Ring in the New Year

Ring in 2018 with help from local businesses. Find more New Year’s Event happenings at jfpevents.com.

Ann Rogers-Brigham

Ann Rogers-Brigham says that she believes church should be about inclusivity and sharing God's love with others.

Tackling Poverty this Holiday Season

For families and individuals who are struggling, especially financially, the holidays can be a tough time. That's where nonprofits come in, for both immediate and systemic help. You can donate to and/or volunteer with these nonprofits.

Stocking Stuffers

Filling stockings with local gifts can make it way more fun, and you can fill them with almost anything. Candy, jewelry, food, socks ... a bottle of bloody Mary mix if your stocking is big enough and the stocking owner old enough. For this holiday season, the Jackson Free Press has scoured the area to find the perfect stocking stuffers. Here are a few ideas.

Local Ho-Ho Holidays

This holiday season, many local restaurants and businesses can help any Jacksonians who are looking for help with preparations.

Pam Confer

When Pam Confer writes songs, she says the lyrics just come to her, and she starts singing them. So one evening in spring 2016, Confer was walking her dog, Jazzie, when she began singing, "Who are we?"

OPINION: Creating a Movement

I almost majored in history during college, but since my memory for facts and dates has always been a little shoddy, I decided not to go that route. I ended up choosing journalism because even if I can't remember facts, I know how to tell a good story, and journalism is a good opportunity to always learn something new.

Stories by Amber