Browsing: People

Our greatest asset in Mississippi is our people. Get to know the people who make up our Mississippi home!

Donna Yowell has earned the title of the “First Lady of Horticulture in Mississippi.” Born and educated in Mississippi, Yowell has a heart for farming and teaching, a passion for preservation and organization, and the determination to make a positive economic impact. For over thirty years, Yowell has worked tirelessly to bring a whole new growing and flowering cottage industry to farming in Mississippi. 

Memory Carouthers is making a difference in North Mississippi, one prom dress at a time. Memory’s Magical Dresses and Formal Wear Giveaway provides dresses, tuxedoes, jewelry, and shoes to junior high and high students free of charge for proms and dances. The non-profit organization celebrates its fifth year this month by giving out over 1,000 dresses and tuxedos to youth in the greater Tupelo area.

Pandemic entrepreneurs started over 4 million new businesses in the U.S. during 2020—the highest total on record. People responded to forced furloughs, layoffs, and business closures by starting small businesses. Some started simply out of boredom and needing to pass the time. That was how Wholly Fire Foods from Hattiesburg, Mississippi, started. James Louis, a retired teacher, enrollment officer, and recruiter for Tougaloo College, and his wife found themselves at home, looking to pass the time. Louis, an avid cook suffering from high blood pressure, decided to try gardening. 

John O’Conner is a beloved bartender and music connoisseur at Ground Zero Blues Club-Biloxi. The 65-year-old has always been passionate about live music and making people smile. So, when news traveled along the Mississippi Gulf Coast Line that John’s home burnt down and he was severely injured, Ground Zero-Biloxi staff, patrons, and the community rallied together. 

While living in New Orleans, London met Scott Hoverman, owner of 3 Alarm Comics in Ocean Springs. Hoverman invited London to come and sign autographs as a celebrity guest, introducing him to Mississippi. “I fell in love with Ocean Springs,” shared London. “It is truly a magical little place. So beautiful.” At that time, London’s family was expecting. “We were about to have a baby, and New Orleans didn’t feel like the place we truly wanted to be,” shared London. “So the Universe brought us here.” 

For the first time, professional mermaids worldwide will meet in Switzerland in May for the inaugural Merlympics. Pine Belt native Emily Shaw will be there representing Mississippi. The competition will test the mermaids’ aerobics and strength underwater. 

Uniformed in a chef’s hat and jacket, University of Mississippi freshman Sarah Harmon sat at a special table in the Rebel Market on Nov. 10 decorating cookies. She adorned the treats with words such as “dream,” “love” and “joy.”

These were no ordinary cookies, however, and Harmon is no ordinary baker. Harmon, who has been blind since birth, wrote the words in braille to raise awareness of those with visual impairments.