"Mama" Louise Hudson made her return to H&H Restaurant in downtown Macon on Saturday.

She opened the restaurant in 1959. After some financial trouble, she had to close in December 2013.

Moonhanger Group, owners of downtown's Rookery and Dovetail restaurants, announced in March that it was purchasing the restaurant.

Moonhanger owners, Chad Evans and Wes Griffith, were adamant about two things before they reopened - Mama Louise would stay on board and the ambiance of the iconic soul food restaurant would not change.

H&H will reopen to the public at 10:30 a.m. Aug. 13.

A grease fire errupted at The Fincher's Barbecue on Houston Rd in Macon leaving the restaurant with moderate damage.

The flames started in one of the ovens of the restaurant around 4 p.m. on Sunday afternoon according to Macon-Bibb Fire Chief Nathaniel Hall.

He says there were employees in the kitchen but they all got out unharmed.

The cost of the amount of damage is not yet known.

The Houston Road location will be closed until it is repaired.

All other Fincher's locations are open.

At the Academy for Classical Education summer reading is mandatory for all students, unlike other Bibb Schools. Gabe Reed said he welcomed the challenge.

"Two books required I had to read, which was Call of the Wild and of Mice and Men. And there's two optional books, I chose Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, and Where the Red Fern Grows," said Reed.

In addition to reading students also have to write essays. "Most of them from sixth, seventh and eighth will answer several questions from their book, but they'll write about two essays each," said Laura Perkins, co-founder.

Perkins recognizes it's a lot of work. "In order to be a well-read, articulate learning person, you've got to work. You've gotta work hard and that's what we're trying to inculcate in our students," she said.