April 2026

April 2026

Years ago, when I spent my days writing and taking pictures for The Itawamba County Times in Fulton, I struck up a conversation with an employee of a store celebrating its grand opening with the obligatory ribbon-cutting ceremony. I was there to cover it.

From the minute our conversation began, it was clear the employee – who I’d never seen before, haven’t since and likely never will again – and I were on the same wavelength. We cracked similar jokes, bantered well, and had the easy familiarity of intimate friends. At least on my end, it was an instant connection.

In my experience, these kinds of rapports don’t spontaneously occur all that often, and when they do, it feels like wizardry. It’s one of the many amazing things about people – how total strangers can find themselves on similar footing. Our onnections with each other can be brief or everlasting, but each is profound in its own way.

As I tick off days, months, years on my metaphorical calenda, one of my strongest desires is to build – or sometimes rebuild – my connections to others. I want to cherish those moments in which I connect with someone else, either friends or total strangers, even if it’s only for a few minutes.

Adam Armour Editor

OUR STAFF

Editor

Adam Armour

Creative Director

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Sales Coordinator

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CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Leigh

On the cover: Flowers are a frequent subject of Tupelo artist Ashli Kovalick’s paintings. Cover photo by Thomas Wells. April 2026, Vol. 14 No. 3

20

GO WEST, SEE THE COUNTRY

The soaring, stunning peaks of the Teton Range, dotted by pristine alpine lakes and filled with wildlife, are where Toni Flanagan of Dorsey finds joy. And it all started with a bear.

32

UPLIFTING RESULTS

Last year, something had to give for Chelsea Milligan. The New Albany mother of four had taken a break from working as a registered nurse, only to discover that reentering the job market was challenging. When she met weightlifting coach Dave Belli, it changed her life.

36

‘IT’S IN MY BLOOD’

Lee County residents Jacob Beane and Ashley Talton are part of a long but dwindling tradition of running small, private farms. With a few livestock and some modest gardens, these independent farmers maintain a deep connection to the area’s agrarian roots.

46

THE ART OF JOY

For Tupelo’s Ashli Kovalick, painting is an expression of unbridled joy. Through her colorful pieces featuring flowers and birds and landscapes, Ashli hopes to inspire happiness in others.

54

LEADING WITH COMPASSIONATE ACCOUNTABILITY

In Tupelo, community isn’t just a word, it’s a responsibility. And few carry that responsibility with as much intentional joy as Hannah Maharrey. Hannah listens intently, leans in when others speak, asks thoughtful questions, and then acts.

10

A SWEET CONTRADICTION

If there’s one thing Joyce Harmon of Verona loves, it’s baking. She can whip up a pound cake or pie to rival those of some of the best bakers around. What she’s not, however, is a fan of eating such sweet treats.

60

FIND YOUR PURPOSE, LIVE YOUR PURPOSE

Oliver Faust, a Mooreville High School student and athlete, lost his life in a car accident on June 20, 2024. Though his time was brief, those who knew Oliver say the way he lived – with kindness, intention, and joy – continues to ripple through his small hometown and far beyond.

TUPELO COCA-COLA BOTTLING WORKS

1 HADLEY STREET, TUPELO

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Adam Armour, Editor

A Sweet

Contradiction

Verona cook Joyce Harmon has mastered cooking and baking confections,

even though she lacks a sweet tooth

One day, after baking three homemade pound cakes and her oft-requested macaroni and cheese, Joyce Harmon shared a revelation.

“I really don’t like to cook,” she said, laughing. Clarence Harmon, however, doesn’t think that’s true.

“Aw, she loves cooking,” he said. “She always cooks for me. And it is delicious. That’s a fact.”

He should be well aware – Clarence has been enjoying his wife’s cooking for 27 years.

Though she gets dinner on the table for her husband and their daughter Sonica Shell Harmon daily, Joyce says she’s more of a baker than a cook. But those who’ve had the pleasure of tasting her cooking will likely disagree.

Joyce, 62, recalls watching her mama bake when she was small. Then she baked her first cae – on her own – at 14.

“When I took it out of the stove, it fell flat,” sh said. “From then on, I watched closer when my mama baked. I’m not sure what I did wrong, but I’m going to say it was the oven’s fault.”

At 21, Joyce baked a cake from scratch, and it was perfect. Her most requested cakes are her mama’s pound cake, a German chocolate cake and a caramel cake.

“Caramel icing can be tricky,” she said. Joyce also bakes pies. Family favorites include sweet potato, pecan, apple and peach cobbler.

“I’ve tried making my own pie crust,” Joyce said. “I went by a recipe, but it just didn’t work, so now I use bought crusts.”

Her oatmeal and peanut butter cookies are also favorites.

“You know, I bake sweets, but I’m not a sweet-eater at all,” she said. “I bake, but I don’t like to eat what I bake.”

For someone who claims she’s not much of a

cook, Joyce has a couple of culinary cues she offers whe asked how she makes certain foods taste so good. If it’s greens, she flvors them with smoked ham hocks and adds a bit of oil to tenderize the veggies.

“I also cook them three to four hours,” she said. “And I cut the stems out of my greens.”

Everyone, from her husband and daughter to her in-laws, requests Joyce’s fried chicken. When she was 14, the same age she made her not-so-successful first cae, she decided to cut up a whole chicken to fry for her family’s dinner.

“I didn’t know what I was doing,” she said with a laugh. “By the time I had cut everything but the drumsticks, I ended up with these short, tiny drumsticks.

“I made biscuits that were hard as rocks because I forgot to add shortening, and gravy that was way too thick. But now I can make good biscuits, and I can cut up a whole chicken with my eyes closed.”

Joyce said the secret to making fabulous fried chicken is to allow it to soak in salty water for a couple of hours before cooking.

“That gets the saltiness down to the bone,” she said. “And I cover it and cook it exactly 10 minutes on each side, and it’s perfect.”

Joyce’s mac and cheese is requested often. She first made i using her mama’s recipe, but realized she could improve it by adding different cheeses

“My recipe has cream cheese and grated cheddar cheese,” she said. “The more I tasted it, the better it got. I decided I needed to stop tasting.”

Though Joyce stands by her admission regarding her disdain for cooking, she enjoys watching cooking shows.

“I love them,” she said. “I love to watch others cook. Just like I watched my mama when I was little.”

She often offers o cook for her mom, who lives just steps away.

“But she won’t let me,” Joyce said. “She will be 84 in July and still does all her own cooking. “I really do not like to cook that much. But when I do, I do my best.” M

| Sharing is sweet |

Sure, Joyce Harmon may not enjoy eating the sweet and savory creations she bakes regularly, but she loves sharing them with others. That includes the recipes for those who want to try baking a few of her favorites themselves. Joyce was generous enough to share a few of her standout treats with Mud & Magnolias’ readers. Let us know how the recipes turn out by sharing photos with us on Instagram, Facebook or Threads. Find as @mudandmagnolias.

Pound Cake

1 cup butter

1/2 cup Crisco shortening

5 eggs

3 cups sugar

3 cups sifted flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring

1 teaspoon lemon flavoring

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and shortening until smooth. Add sugar one cup at a time. Mix well, then add eggs one at a time until smooth. Sift flour and baking powder together, and add half the flour to cream mixture. Add half the milk, mix, and add remaining flour and milk. Mix well until smooth. Do not over-beat. Add vanilla and lemon. Pour into a greased and floured tube pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours.

MaCaroni and Cheese

1 pound small elbow macaroni

1 stick salted butter, softened

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

3 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated

1 1/2 cups whole milk, add enough to make it creamy

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add macaroni and cook until tender but not mushy. Drain well, shaking well to remove excess water. Add macaroni back to hot pot. In a separate bowl, soften butter and cream cheese in microwave, stir and add to macaroni on low heat. Mix well until melted. Start with one cup of milk, and continue stirring until the cheese is melted and creamy. Add more milk if needed to get the right consistency. Add to casserole dish. Sprinkle a cup of cheese on top. Turn on broiler until cheese has melted.

Sweet Potato Pie

2 unbaked pie crusts

1 stick margarine

2 eggs

2 cups cooked sweet potatoes

2 cups sugar

1 small can evaporated milk

2 teaspoons vanilla

Mix potatoes, sugar and margarine until well blended. Add other ingredients and milk. Pour into pie crust and bake at 250 degrees for 1 hour.

Flame loaF

1 pound sausage

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup chopped jalapeno peppers

1/2 cup sharp cheese

1 Ready-to-Bake pizza crust

Brown sausage until done. Drain and allow to cool. Roll out pizza crust. Atop crust, layer sausage, onions, peppers and cheese. Roll it up and fold down each end. Bake at 425 degrees until golden brown.

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Go West, See

The Country

Toni Flanagan loves visiting National

Parks, and her house reflects her passion

The soaring, stunning peaks of the Teton Range, dotted by pristine alpine lakes and filed with wildlife, are where Toni Flanagan find joy.

They are also where she has visited at least once – and often twice – a year for more than a decade.

All because of a bear.

Not just any bear, of course; it was Grizzly 399, otherwise known as the “Queen of the Tetons.”

For 28 years, until her tragic death two years ago, 399 was a bear ambassador of sorts, raising 18 cubs in Grand Teton National Park and the adjacent Yellowstone National Park.

“I guess when I got so crazy about 399 was when I went in 2013,” the Dorsey resident said. “I hadn’t been in the park maybe 30 minutes, and I saw a mama grizzly by the road with her two cubs. And they were rambunctious, and she was disciplining them, you know, and I fell in love.”

The natural beauty of the Tetons is almost unmatched. They stretch some 40 miles along the Rocky Mountains on the Wyoming-Idaho border and are the setting for Grand Teton National Park and its more than 310,000 acres. As part of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, the park lies just 10 miles south of the much larger Yellowstone

National Park and its 2.2 million acres.

No wonder Toni visits the area so often; there’s so much to see.

“I usually go two weeks in May, like mid-May to the end of the month, then two weeks in the fall, which is my favorite time,” she said.

The towering peaks of the Tetons rise as high as 7,000 feet above the valley floo. The Grand Teton, for which the park gets its name, rises to 13,770 feet and is the crown jewel of the range. She is joined by other mountain peaks, including Mount Owen, Teewinot and Mount Moran.

The famous Mormon Row barns with the Grand soaring behind them is one of the most iconic photos of the American West, along with the famous Ansel Adams Snake River Overlook photo from 1942 and the Oxbow Bend photo with Mt. Moran.

Some 3.5 million people visit Grant Teton National Park every year (Yellowstone has about 4.7 million), making it one of the most visited parks. Visit them enough, and people get to know you.

“I’ve made so many friends,” Toni said. “I’d say 20 percent of my Facebook friends are people I’ve met out there.”

She’s met many photographers, painters and other creatives

on her treks. Her home reflects many of thos people with the photos, paintings, books, decor and more she has collected, including some things most homeowners don’t have.

“The third weekend of every May is the Elkfest Antler Auction, and they have the Mountain Man Festival,” she said. “There’s a little lady who I met two or three years ago, and she’s in her 80s, and she kills all these animals and skins them. It’s a wolverine this time. I almost bought it but didn’t.”

However, she did buy bison teeth. That’s right – bison, not buffalo. un fact: American bison are distinct from “true” buffalo, such s African Cape buffalo andAsian water buffalo. Bison hve large shoulder humps, massive heads, beards, and short horns, whereas buffalo lack humps So what most Americans call buffalo are in fac bison.

But it’s bears that dominate Toni’s decor, including numerous photos and books, lamps and lampshades, light switches and wall outlet covers, and so much more.

“’I’ve just kind of collected over the years, and people give me stu,” Toni said.

Even her license plate bears notice; it reads, “GRIZ399.”

She knows the names of other bears as well, some of whom are 399’s offspring.Toni has kept track of 610, 399’s daughter and heir apparent. She was born in 2006 and has produced 10 of her own cubs. In Yellowstone, it’s Raspberry who was 399’s equivalent, but park officials belve she may have passed. Her daughters, Snow and Jam, are alive and well.

While Toni favors Grand Teton, she’s also visited other parks, mostly out West, of course. These include the Glacier, Yosemite and Grand Canyon national parks.

“I’ve been to the Tetons and Yellowstone about 20 times, Glacier four,” she said. “I’ve been

to Dry Tortugas and Key West, too. But really going out West seems to be my favorite, especially the Tetons and Yellowstone. Everybody asks me, ‘Don’t you want to go someplace different?’ t’s just, when I get off tha plane in Jackson Hole, there’s no other place I want to be. I just love it.

Toni said when she visits the West, she feels like a different person

“All your worries just sort of disappear,” she said. “It’s just the peace and quiet and the animals. It’s like a present. Every day, you go to Yellowstone, and you don’t know what’s going to happen” M

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UPLIF

TING RESULTS

New Albany mom, coach take weightlifting journey together

Last year, something had to give for Chelsea Milligan. The New Albany mother of four had taken a break from working as a registered nurse, only to discover that reentering the job market was challenging.

She called. She emailed. She searched. She interviewed. Bupkis.

“Every time I interviewed, I never heard back,” she said. That was when she started asking herself the devastating question: “Am I not good enough?’”

Weeks of emotional eating led her to be as heavy as she had been during pregnancy.

“I felt really horrible,” she said. “For women, how we look on the outside dictates who we feel on the inside.”

So her husband, Joe, a Maryland native, quietly stepped in and gave his wife, who is originally from Greenwood, a surprise birthday gift: sessions with a personal weightlifting coach, Dave Belli.

Folks from Hickory Flat to Tupelo know Belli, former manager of Anytime Fitness in New Albany. He’s the guy from Schenectady, New York, with the boulder shoulders and clipped Yankee accent who rocks to all things Van Halen. Since leaving Anytime Fitness, Belli has started his own business, Pop’s Fitness, and can still be found weekly at the New Albany gym.

“One of the reasons I got Dave is that I knew she wouldn’t get injured,” Joe Milligan said.

Today, Chelsea has dropped at least 30 pounds, works out twice a week in the gym with Belli, gets at least 10,000 steps every day, does other weightlifting work on her own, and has a new job.

Was it magic? Nope. It was hard work, dedication and careful planning.

“It all starts with a conversation,” said Belli, a longtime fitness trainer ertified by the nternational Sports Sciences Association.

Chelsea told Belli she wanted to lose weight, get stronger and feel better about herself. Belli slowly crafted a fitnes and nutritional plan that fit Chelseas lifestyle. He gave her focus; she gave him dogged commitment.

They started slowly with light weights so Chelsea could discover what she liked to do (chest and shoulder work, it turns out), what she didn’t like to do (leg work), and what she had to do to turn her life around.

So what’s her plan, anyway?

Any given day, Chelsea is out of bed by 4:15 a.m., and by the time she jumps in the car at 7 to travel to work, she’s had a 45-minute workout, either at home or the gym, has gotten her two younger sons ready for school and herself ready for the job.

Chelsea drinks water first thing in the moning and throughout the day. She’s a big believer in water consumption. Once at work, she spends as much time on her feet as she can, and she logs thousands of steps each day while working.

“I usually just walk around the oe,” she said. “They think I’m a crazy person.”

Most weeks, she and Belli have two sessions, focusing one day on either pushing exercises (chest and shoulders) or pulling exercises (back and biceps), and the other day on leg exercises. Chelsea uses both weight machines and free weights, and she does other supplemental work three days a week. The other two days, she rests.

“I feel better. I feel stronger,” she said. “I’ve kept at it.”

That’s not all she’s done. Recently, she performed a 165-pound deadlift, a first for he. For those who don’t know, a deadlift involves a lifter bending over a bar and slowly straightening up while holding onto the weight.

It’s super-easy to hurt yourself doing a deadlift. Actually, it’s easy to hurt yourself doing any kind of weightlifting. And, Belli said, it’s far too easy to fool yourself into thinking that you’re working in the gym when you’re not.

“It bothers me to see someone put some weight on a bar and sort of halfway squat,” then walk around and strut and

brag, he said. “You didn’t do squat.”

Chelsea is far from fooling herself, Belli said, and she could stand as an example of what happens when you give your whole self to something, especially when the temperatures get warmer, the beach calls, and you wonder if this is the year for your beach body.

“She’s so raw, so dedicated,” he said. “As busy as she is, she still has time to get her fitness in.

But c’mon, coach, I don’t want to spend my days eating bean sprouts and rice cakes.

Don’t worry: The Milligans enjoy French toast, homemade ice cream and cookie dough. Belli refuses to shy away from birthday cake at family birthday parties. Believe it or not, Belli said you can eat whatever you want; just don’t put away a cheeseburger and a cinnamon roll every day.

Chelsea tries to get at least 30 grams of lean protein at every meal, and she’s found a way to eat the foods she enjoys. She digs doing deadlifts, feels really strong doing a bench press, and grits her teeth and bears down during leg exercises.

“I hate it,” she said. “Leg day is hard.”

You could say that weightlifting has given Chelsea the uplift she needed.

“If I can make it as easy as possible,” she said, “that’s how I’m going to stick with it.” M

‘It’s

in my blood now’

Family farming still vital in rural Mississippi despite historic decline

Story By Caleb McCluskey

Photos by Adam Robison and Thomas Wells

For most of human history, and until less than 200 years ago, most families farmed unless they mastered a specific trade.The tradition of livestock care and home gardening lives in the veins of every Northeast Mississippi resident.

Lee County native Jacob Beane believes that tradition is slowly dying in the age of year-round meat supplies and offseason produce. Jacob began cattle farming late in life, but found joy in the everyday task of caring for

animals with his family, especially his youngest child, Wyatt.

“I like being outdoors,” Jacob said. “I love this time of year. It’s calving season, and the field is ful of new life. This is what I do in the afternoon. I come out here in the summers … I try to keep it enjoyable.”

While others like to golf, play pickleball, or engage in other outdoor activities, Jacob spends his afternoons with cattle and family, joking that he was so bad at golf, no one wanted to play with him anyway.

When he was younger, Jacob’s grandfather raised cattle, but his father didn’t. In his 30s, Jacob

adopted his grandfather’s livelihood. Now, he raises calves to sell at market on the 400-acre plot he leases in west Tupelo. He owns about 40 cows, including two bulls. Most afternoons, he watches over his animals, feeding them and ensuring they are cared for.

Mississippi still has a fairly agrarian culture compared to many neighboring states – a tradition, Jacob said, he is proud to carry on.

Jacob’s grandfather still helps when possible, but most of the work is done by Jacob, his children, and two friends: cowboys Jimmy Lee Patterson and Tim Cook. They have been instrumental in his success.

“It didn’t come until later in life, but it’s in my blood now,” he said.

For those interested in farming and raising cattle, Jacob advises meeting others in the trade, specificaly older

farmers, because many are selling out of the business and parting with equipment. They are also full of knowledge. He said fewer people operate smaller cattle farms because industrialized farming dominates.

“When I first stated out, I didn’t know what I was doing,” he said. “I made it harder than it should’ve been.”

Jacob also warns future cattle farmers to stay away from sales until they know what they are doing. He once bought cattle that weren’t worth the money because he didn’t know what to look for.

Start small and use what you have

On a different stretch of Lee Count land, Tupelo resident Ashley Talton cares for 11 hens, eight cows, four calves (with four more on the way), goats and miniature donkeys.

Ashley grew up on a farm and didn’t think she’d ever want to care for animals

or till the land again, but when she and her husband bought property, she became a farmer again.

“I couldn’t wait to get away,” she said with a laugh. “I was never going to weed a garden again.”

Ashley’s family is also involved. She uses farming to teach her children, two teens and a 10-year-old, responsibility. Now, with more eggs than she and her family can possibly eat, she relishes giving away the fruits of her labor.

“To me, that is what’s fun about having chickens,” she said. “It is a way to give to your friends. I’m a giver. I love little gifts. They make me feel loved, so I love giving.”

Ashley’s farming advice is to start small and simple and grow from there.

“It doesn’t have to be elaborate,” she said. “You can really make something out of nothing if you are resourceful. You

don’t have to go into the hole to start a garden or a little farm. There are ways that it doesn’t have to be over the top. Start small and use what you have … I think that is the way it’s supposed to be.”

Focus on the fundamentals

Ashley’s friend, Bill Prater, an avid farmer and former BancorpSouth CFO, said small farmers just starting out should focus on the fundamentals. Take a soil sample to the Mississippi State University Extension Oe for a test.

“Soil acidity is very important, and they will give you the exact mixture of what you need,” he said, adding that extension oe employees have a wealth of knowledge. “It is just a fun hobby … It is a lot of hard work; you just have to enjoy doing it. Almost anything that is rewarding is hard work.”

Bill – who farms pumpkins, gourds, tomatoes, squash, zucchini, okra, pepper varieties, cucumbers, and zipper peas – said his parents taught him how to sow the soil. He now starts from seeds and has found great joy in growing the pumpkins he plans to plant once temperatures warm.

What Bill can’t eat fresh, he gives away. While farmers’ markets aren’t for him, he said one can “always fin someone that wants free tomatoes.”

“It is cathartic being out there, digging in the dirt,” he said. “It is neat to put something in the ground and end up with a vegetable.” M

Tupelo Small Animal Hospital

The

Along sheet of butcher paper covers the dining room table near the entrance of Ashli Kovalick’s Tupelo home, its tanned surface near pristine save for a few splotches of bright color where she sits and paints.

Paintbrushes sprout from an organizer within easy reach at the table’s center, the tips of their bristles blooming with the faint remnants of vivid hues. Nearby, a glass vase is filed with dozens of half-used tubes of acrylic paint. Thick dollops of the stuff over the surface of a makeshift palette – a sheet of white paper atop a pink tray. To the left of where she sits, a large lazy Susan – the kind you find overed in merchandise at a hobby store – is cluttered with art supplies.

The space is an oasis of colorful chaos in her otherwise tidy home.

“This is kind of a communal area,” she says from a seat at the table, which overlooks the living space she shares with her husband, Greg, and two children, Hazel and Henry. “I can be here and still be around ever ybody.”

She motions to a nearby jutting wall, its otherwise neutral surface covered in bright paintings of varying sizes and shapes. Some are framed, but most are naked canvas.

Nearly all the paintings are hers, and they feature the buoyant subjects of which she is fond – floers and birds and sunny days on rolling landscapes, all presented in light pinks and faint blues, deep greens

and pristine whites. Her style is imprecise, almost impressionistic. Broad strokes instead of clean lines, meant not to capture the details of her subjects but the feeling they evoke.

For her, and she hopes for anyone who sees her paintings, that feeling is specific: Joy.

“There’s so much negativity everywhere,” the Booneville native says. “I want to instill joy, happiness.”

A playful smile rises on her face.

“It’s not art that you walk by and say, ‘Oh, how does this make me feel?’” she says. “No. You should walk by it and think, ‘Man, I’m happy. Those flowers make me happy.’”

Those bits of happiness fill Ashli’s home, dotting the walls and lining the mantles. She’s a prolific painter, filling what leisure time she finds during her busy weeks with the act of creation.

Surprisingly, given the volume of her work, Ashli has been at it for only a few years. Blank walls served as her initial inspiration.

A nurse practitioner who now specializes in helping diabetic patients, Ashli had moved into a new office several years ago and felt the walls of the place could use a bit of color. Instead of covering her workspace in storebought art, she thought she’d paint something.

Her chosen subject: the office itself.

“I painted the building from the outside,” she says, then pauses. With a wince and a laugh, she continues. “It was terrible. The perspective. The lines of the building. The slope of the roof. It looked really wonky.”

Rather than get discouraged, Ashli used the experience as a starting place, motivating her to keep going. Over time, she developed her style and settled on the light and cheerful subjects that make up the bulk of her work. Vases filled with bouquets of flowers. Bumblebees in flight. Small birds perched on branches.

Ashli says she’s tried painting in a less vibrant palette, but it just isn’t for

her. Those experiments didn’t reflect who sh is as an artist or a person.

“It’s not like I have a lot of angst that I just have to get out on the canvas,” she says, acknowledging that the rich colors she prefers won’t be to everyone’s aesthetic. Plenty of people enjoy original art with a more muted palette, easier to fit ino a range of environments without clashing.

“Mine’s just not that way; I don’t know that I’m going to be able to do that,” Ashli says. “You can’t please everybody in anything that you do. You’re not going to make everybody happy.”

But she can, and often does, try.

Sharing the joy

Although she paints primarily for her own enjoyment, Ashli says she loves sharing the joy of creativity with others.

She frequently posts her work to Instagram (@adkovalickart) and Facebook. Many posts showcase her finished piees, sometimes accompanied by motivational text and uplifting music. Others show her creative process – colors and shapes rapidly appearing on canvas via time-lapse video as she paints.

“You shouldn’t require other people’s validation, but in some sense, it feels good,” she says, speaking of sharing her work on social media. “You want other people to enjoy it.”

This is especially true for Ashli, who focuses much of her work on creating pieces she hopes will make people happy. She’s been involved in a few art shows and has sold a few pieces. Occasionally, someone recognizes her in public from her social media postings.

When she discusses these things, her eyes shine and her smile widens. It’s humbling when someone purchases something she created, when they experience the same feeling of joy she felt when creating it.

With the lightest smile, Ashli calls the fundamentals of art “no fun.” She didn’t take art classes, didn’t pour over tomes of research about history’s greatest artists. She doesn’t enjoy sketching. None of that matters.

“I like real creations, real emotions … things that came from someone’s creativity,” she says. For her, creation is all about passion.

Although her subject matter may be light, there’s a bit of rebellion in Ashli’s work, a desire to break whatever rules there may be in the creative process. It’s what makes painting an escape for her.

“My job is very – I don’t want to say regimented, but there are guidelines, and there are formulas, and there are rules that you have to go by,” she says. “The thing I’ve decided I love most about painting is that, while there are rules, you don’t have to follow them … If I like it, and it makes me happy, then I’m satisfied with that.That’s the enjoyment that I get out of it.”

For Ashli, painting is an act of joyful creation, one that’s personal to her just like it is to anyone else who picks up a brush. Each piece tells a story both on and off the canvs.

“I love that about art,” Ashli says. “It is a story. It is personal.”

She motions to the paintings throughout her home, islands of bright colors against the neutral walls framing them.

“Even though I painted all these, I walk by them, and I remember,” she says. She remembers how she felt when she painted them and the stories they tell.

“They speak to me,” she says.

More loudly, though, they speak of her – of the person she is and what she wants to bring into the world. Something luminant and hopeful to stand in vivid contrast to the negativity she spoke of earlier.

“My hope is that my paintings are uplifting to people, whenever they see them,” she says. “I would say the same thing I feel when painting them is that I hope to instill in other people.”

That, of course, would be joy.

“In the end, I’ve created something beautiful – or beautiful to me,” she says. “That’s the way it makes me feel. It gives me joy to paint and to share that with other people.” M

Leading with Compassionate Accountability Community

Few embody the Tupelo Spirit more than Hannah Maharrey

Story By Meredith Biesinger

Photos by Thomas Wells & Adam Robison

In Tupelo, community isn’t just a word, it’s a responsibility. And few carry that responsibility with as much intentional joy as Hannah Maharrey.

With a colorful scarf tied around her neck and a warm, welcoming smile, Hannah instantly puts people at ease. She listens intently, leans in when others speak, asks thoughtful questions, and then acts.

A proud Tupelo native, born and raised in the All-America City, Hannah graduated from the Tupelo Public School District before continuing her education at Northeast Mississippi Community College and later Ole Miss, earning a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism.

“I always thought this was a good fit for me because it requires a lot o talking and a lot of attention,” she said with a laugh. “I love talking to people. I love stories. I love knowing about people. Journalism school really helped me remove any shyness I had. I used to be a shy person.”

That may come as a surprise to those who know her today.

After graduating from Ole Miss, Hannah discovered that broadcast journalism wasn’t her long-term calling. She taught ESL courses before making a bold decision that stretched far beyond Mississippi - she joined the Peace Corps.

For two years, Hannah lived in Mongolia as a Peace Corps volunteer, serving in communities where she was the only foreigner and did not speak the language fluenty.

“This is where I really had to break out of my shell,” she said. “In order to make friends and get everything done that I needed to get done, I couldn’t be shy. I had to let go of the fear of judgment. It was time to be bold and be brave.”

She developed a deep appreciation for community development in Mongolia, working with local nonprofits o strengthen systems and support families. She began asking herself an important question.

“When I worked in the Peace Corps, community development was huge,” she said. “I was drawn to these local nonprofits that helped ongolian communities, and it got me thinking – what do we do here?”

That question followed her home.

After returning to the United States, Hannah earned a fellowship and completed her master’s degree in public administration, with an emphasis in nonprofit mangement, at the University of New Orleans. She spent six years in New Orleans working in housing at UNO, gaining valuable experience.

But her heart remained in Tupelo.

When grant funding became available for a homelessness prevention and outreach program in Tupelo, she saw her opportunity

“Jump in? That’s me,” she said with a smile.

She did exactly that.

Hannah went on to serve as chairperson of the Tupelo Homelessness Task Force and later as director of the Balance of States Continuum of Care. While she loved the scope of the work, the extensive travel kept her away from home more than she preferred.

“I missed being in Tupelo,” she said.

Since November 2023, she has served as executive director of Good Samaritan Health Services – a role that blends her education, global experience, and hometown commitment.

Her involvement does not stop there. Hannah remains chair of the Tupelo Homelessness Task Force and serves on the boards of the Tupelo Housing Authority and the

Committee for King. She supports organizations such as Positive Period and the Hunger Coalition and regularly opens the Good Samaritan meeting space to community groups in need of a place to gather.

“We live here,” she said. “This is our community. We are neighbors. It is up to us to take care of each other.”

She often challenges a common refrain heard in communities everywhere:

“A lot of times, we hear people say, ‘Someone should do something about that.’ And I always ask – well, who is someone? Someone is us.”

Hannah refers to her approach as “compassionate accountability.”

It means understanding how systems work and helping others understand them too. Compassionate accountability is identifying where gaps exist and focusing attention there. It means extending empathy while still encouraging growth and responsibility.

Tony Skinner, a homeless resident, stands inside his camp that sits along Town Creek in Tupelo, as he talks with Hannah and LaToya Hatchett, case manager with AIDS Services Coalition Housing during a pit count in Tupelo.

“Growing up, my mom really imparted on us that empathy is important,” Hannah said. “Everyone’s life can change in an instant, for better or worse. Try to understand people where they are and get involved where you can.”

In 2025, the city of Tupelo honored Hannah’s dedication by presenting her with the Community Spirit Award.

“I was shocked,” she said. “I feel like there are people out there that do way more than I do, that use their skills and resources in wonderful ways. I want to be like them.”

The recognition, especially coming from Community Outreach Task Force members Kim Rushing and Reverend Harold Wilson, both people for whom Hannah has boundless respect, meant a great deal.

“When I moved back in 2017, the city has been so supportive of me,” she said emotionally. “They recognize that my intent has always been to help our community.”

What keeps her motivated are the stories of progress – even when progress feels slow.

“For every 10 people I see whose success story isn’t where we want it to be, the 11th person has done the work, and they are thriving,” she said. “They did the hard work. I played a small role in their journey to success and stability.”

The shy sixth grade student from Milam might be surprised by the leader she has become. But Hannah believes she would be proud.

“She’d be happy that we are happy, and that we found a place where we can excel and be ourselves.”

Hannah takes her work seriously, but she carries it with warmth and optimism. She believes purpose and joy can coexist.

“You can have fun doing your job,” she said. “It doesn’t mean you’re unserious. It just means you wake up with a purpose you’re passionate about.”

Tupelo’s Community Spirit Award honors those who strengthen the city from within.

In 2025, it honored a woman who left home, found her voice across the world, and returned determined to serve the place that shaped her.

And Tupelo is better for it.

Purpose Purpose FIND YOUR LIVE YOUR

Mooreville family honors late teen’s legacy through love, kindness, and purpose

On County Road 1409 in Mooreville, drivers often slow down when they pass a certain yard.

A sign stands near the road, simple but powerful in its message:

“Drive safe! Our family loves you! Find your purpose. Live your purpose. Live, Love, Laugh, Like Oliver.”

For Jackie Gardner and her family, those words mean more than encouragement for passing drivers. They serve as a daily reminder of a life that inspires their community

Oliver Faust, a Mooreville High School student and athlete, lost his life in a car accident on June 20, 2024. He would have been a senior in the Mooreville High School this year.

Though his time was brief, those who knew Oliver say the way he lived – with kindness, intention, and joy – continues to ripple through Mooreville and far beyond.

A SPECIAL BOND

For Jackie, Oliver was never just a nephew.

“We had such a close relationship. It was closer than most aunts and nephews,” she said. “He called me his big BFF, and he was my little BFF.”

Jackie remembers the day Oliver was born as clearly as if it were yesterday.

“I got to be in the room when he was born, and for 16 years, two months, and two days, he did nothing but bring our family pure joy.”

The two shared the same personality – playful, a little silly, and full of love. Their bond was built on laughter, encouragement and simply spending time together.

That warmth extended to everyone Oliver met.

Jackie noted that Oliver often sought people who needed a friend, emphasizing that his love for everyone was seemingly endless. His heart held no limits.

Words that changed everything

After Oliver’s death, hundreds of his friends, classmates, and community members gathered to celebrate his life.

During the memorial service, Oliver’s martial arts instructor shared a message that would stay

with Jackie. He spoke about how intentionally Oliver lived his life, encouraging the young people in the room to do the same.

“Find your purpose. Live your purpose.”

Those words quickly began appearing on social media posts from Oliver’s friends and classmates.

“All of his friends and classmates started sharing it,” Jackie said. “He was truly friends with everyone.”

For Jackie, the phrase became the clearest way to share what Oliver stood for: living with love, kindness, and intention – encouraging everyone to seek and live out their own unique purpose.

Soon after, the family made bracelets inscribed with “Find Your Purpose. Live Your Purpose.”

Each bracelet features two symbols, both meaningful to Oliver. The soccer ball stands for his love of the sport and his time playing at Mooreville High School; a pirate ship honors Oliver’s childhood dream of living aboard a ship. Those who love him see this as a symbol of his adventurous and imaginative spirit.

“When Oliver was younger, he used to say he was going to live on a pirate ship,” Jackie said with a laugh. “He was so clever and funny.”

Every year, the family hands out the bracelets on

the first day of school at ooreville High School. They also pass them out at soccer games, ensuring Oliver’s classmates and younger students continue to carry the message.

But the bracelets haven’t stayed in Mooreville.

The family often takes them wherever they go –even on vacations – and shares them with strangers, along with a note explaining Oliver’s story and the message behind it.

What began as a simple act has reached far beyond their hometown.

“We’ve received prayer requests and messages from people all over the country,” Jackie said. “We’ve even heard from people in Canada.”

Each bracelet carries the same reminder Oliver inspired:

Everyone has a purpose.

INVESTING IN FUTURE BLESSINGS

Oliver’s legacy also lives on through acts of kindness.

Earlier this year, Jackie heard that someone within the Mooreville community had gone for days without

eating.

“I thought, that’s crazy,” she said. “This is our community. We take care of each other.”

The family responded by building a blessing box pantry outside the Mooreville Richmond Water Association. Inside the pantry sits a framed message from Oliver’s family. It is printed on paper decorated with magnolias – a small but meaningful detail, as magnolia trees were Oliver’s favorite.

For Jackie and her family, the blessing box is a simple way to share the same kindness Oliver showed so naturally.

The family has also created a scholarship in Oliver’s honor for Mooreville High School seniors.

“We know Oliver would have done something with his hands,” Jackie said. “This scholarship is for

students going into those fields – trades and handon careers.”

An independent panel from outside the state reviews applications, ensuring the selection process remains unbiased.

This year, the one in which Oliver would have graduated high school alongside his classmates, holds special meaning for the family.

“We plan to do something extra special for his class,” Jackie said. “He loved his classmates. We do too. They grew up together.”

TURNING PAIN INTO PURPOSE

Jackie is honest about the reality of grief.

“No one prepares you for this,” she said. “You can

wallow in the pain. Or you can take that pain and make it purposeful.”

Her faith has helped guide that journey.

She often reflects on omans 8:18 and the idea of turning pain into purpose and struggle into testimony.

“You can find joy in your pain,” ackie said.

For her, finding purpose means shining a light fo others.

“I want to be a light to people whose light may be dim at the moment,” she said. “I want them to feel the love of Jesus through my actions.”

Today, Oliver’s legacy continues through every bracelet shared, every act of kindness offered, an every life touched by his story.

For Jackie and her family, helping others fin purpose in their lives is part of a promise they made after losing Oliver.

“This is a family thing,” Jackie said. “We’re all in this together.”

And through every bracelet, every act of kindness, and every life touched along the way, the message that began with Oliver continues to travel far beyond Mooreville:

Find your purpose. Live your purpose.

| Find your purpose |

In the spirit of honoring her late nephew, Jackie Garner often encourages people to pause and consider a few simple yet powerful questions. Pause for a few minutes. Read and consider the following questions. Take time to think about how you want to shape the world, and how you want the world to shape you. What makes your eyes twinkle?

What legacy do you want to leave?

What lights a fire inside of you? What gift do you have that could make the world better?