Jackson Free Press

General Manager Steven O'Neill and Executive Chef Alex Eaton of The Manship Wood Fired Kitchen (1200 N. State St., Suite 100) are preparing to launch a new Mediterranean "fast fine dining" restaurant called Aplos at Highland Village in early 2018.

"Aplos is the Greek word for simple, and we plan to offer good, simple Mediterranean food," O'Neill told the Jackson Free Press. "We're going to have salad, pizza, wraps and more, and all the meat will be slow-cooked on a rotisserie every day where people walking in can see it cooking. The menu will be Greek, Lebanese and Italian-influenced, much like The Manship, with a casual style and price point that'll make it great for weeknight dinners."

The restaurant will be located in Highland Village's center court next door to Deep South Pops. Aplos will have 2,000 square feet of space with seating for 50 inside and additional seating on an outdoor patio. The restaurant will offer to-go service by phone and app. O'Neill says that he and Eaton plan to open by March 2018 and are working with Highland Village to plan events.

O'Neill and Eaton are also currently working to promote the breakfast menu at The Manship via social media, email blasts and a billboard on State Street. The Manship offers a southern breakfast with items such as eggs, maple sausage, biscuits and gravy, chicken biscuits, French-bread French toast with mixed fruit and maple glaze, and more. The Manship's breakfast menu is available Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m., and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

For more information, call 601-398-4562 or visit themanshipjackson.com.

CARA Hosts Dog Days of Summer at the Reservoir

Community Animal Rescue and Adoption (960 N. Flag Chapel Road), a nonprofit "no-kill" animal rescue group in Jackson, is partnering with the Petco Foundation to host its tenth annual Dog Days of Summer fundraiser. The event will be Saturday, Aug. 26, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Pelahatchie Shore Park at the Reservoir.

Dog Days of Summer will feature a children's carnival with face painting, Home Depot building projects, and a petting zoo. Event-goers can also watch dog agility, obedience and K-9 demonstrations with the Richland Police Department, and a pet parade and pet contests.

The event will also have food, arts and crafts vendors; photo opportunities with Disney characters; live entertainment from musician Steve Deaton, Holiday House and other local acts; a silent auction; a dog adoption drive; and more. The Brandon Kennel Club will also offer micro-chipping services for $35.

A donation of a bag of dry dog food is the admission fee, and the children's carnival is $5. Guests must keep their dogs on a leash throughout the event. For more information, call 601-842-4404 or visit carams.org.

Mission First Names Carlyn Hicks Director of Legal Aid Office

Christian mission organization Mission First named Carlyn Hicks, a parental representation attorney for the organization who also supports local restaurants as the head of the Jackson Foodies group, the director of its pro bono Legal Aid Office on Aug. 1.

Hicks joined Mission First as a staff attorney in September 2010 and later became the organization's senior staff attorney. She became the founding director of Mission First's Parent Representation Program in 2012 and also served as clinical adjunct professor of the Child Welfare and Family Justice Clinic. She is also the chairperson of the Mississippi Bar's Child Welfare and Child Advocacy Committee and a member of the Parent Representation Task Force, which works with state and national stakeholders to enhance and expand parent representation across Mississippi.

"I'm excited about exploring innovative ways to meet the legal needs of underserved people in Hinds, Rankin, and Madison Counties in my new position," Hicks told the Jackson Free Press. "For 12 years, we at Mission First have been looking to close the justice gap in legal services in the Jackson area."

Mission First opened in 1999 as a ministry of First Baptist Jackson. The organization turned the blighted Rosedown Apartments into a community center with a medical and dental clinic, legal office, educational facility and gym. The organization merged with two other Christian aid organizations, Neighborhood Christian Center and Peyton's House, in 2016.

The Legal Aid Office at Mission First provides legal services concerning family law, consumer law, government benefit programs, housing issues, and debtor and creditor issues. For more information, call 601-608-0050 or visit missionfirst.org.

A previous version of this story said that CARA's Dog Days of Summer would feature an appearance by Inky the Clown and a petting zoo courtesy of the Jackson Zoo. Inky the Clown will not be at the event, and the petting zoo is not affiliated with the Jackson Zoo. We apologize for the error.