COLUMBUS, MS – Courtesy of the Dispatch and Grant McLaughlin

Swoope Insurance Agency over on Bluecutt has been acquired by larger firm Oakbridge Insurance Agency. “Oakbridge is a regional agency and gives us access to a lot of resources that we just did not have access to in the past,” Swoope owner Mark Hardy said. “It also helps with the standpoint of employees. I think every small business out there has had problems finding and recruiting employees, and Oakbridge has a much larger footprint, so they’re able to attract new people. And that’s something that certainly is a big benefit to us.”

The Essle Center for Perceptual Development, an applied behavioral analysis therapy business helping children with autism, will hold its grand opening on Feb. 17 at 2102 Fifth St. N., office manager Kat Grady said. Owner Andrea Morris is a pediatrician with Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle.

In food news: The Jalisco Mexican Grill, 1921 Hwy. 45 N., is becoming the Guadalajara Cantina and Grill, per company secretary Andrea Prang. They plan to carry over much of the old menu, in addition to new offerings such as classical Mexican cuisine.

Foxhole Games and Comics, which opened up shop near City Diner last Fall, has moved to bigger and better digs at 411 Main St, near the Varsity. Owner Daniel Criddle reports that they “went from about roughly around 900 square feet to 2,000 . . . We needed the space for the gaming scene in Columbus that has grown exponentially to a point where we need to go ahead and try to capitalize on it. When they come into a shop, they shouldn’t be crowded and cramped up trying to figure out how to play. . .We have D&D now three nights a week in the store. So even if the groups get too big, we can break them up into other groups and put them in separate rooms.” They also hold game nights for players of games such as Magic: the Gathering nightly and Pokemon on Saturdays.

Please click here for the original article: https://cdispatch.com/news/2023-02-09/goings-on-with-grant-swoope-insurance-acquired-by-regional-oakbridge-agency/