Recent Stories & Articles Labensky taps in to Columbus’ potential11/19/2009 11:42:00 AM In 1997, she came to Columbus, from Murray, Ky., to teach cooking and management courses at Mississippi University for Women, where she served as founding director of the MUW Culinary Arts Institute. Citizens to weigh in on smoking ban11/18/2009 10:03:00 AM The Columbus City Council Tuesday scheduled a public hearing — to be held Nov. 24 at 5 p.m. in the Columbus Municipal Complex — on a proposed city smoking ordinance. Stark Aerospace unveils new facility11/17/2009 10:51:00 AM In front of a large crowd of community and business leaders and elected officials, the ribbon was cut Monday on Stark Aerospace’s new 86,000-square-foot facility at the Golden Triangle Regional Airport. Karriem to ask council to wait on smoking rules11/17/2009 10:51:00 AM With the Columbus City Council poised to vote tonight on a proposed smoking ordinance, Ward 5 Councilman Kabir Karriem said he plans to ask the council to hold off, and instead call a public hearing on the matter. Supervisor lays out funding plan for parks, other projects11/14/2009 7:02:00 PM During Friday’s meeting of the Lowndes County Board of Supervisors, Board President and District 1 Supervisor Harry Sanders presented a plan to fund ongoing and proposed projects in the county, without increasing taxes. City to consider smoking ordinance11/13/2009 10:26:00 AM The Columbus City Council Tuesday is scheduled to consider a city-wide smoking ordinance which includes options for non-smokers and smokers. Little to no impact expected for Air Force base if annexed into Columbus11/12/2009 11:30:00 AM The possibility of annexing Columbus Air Force Base into the city of Columbus could mean several advantages for the city and little to no impact for the base. Council outlines steps to rev up economy11/11/2009 9:59:00 AM A large crowd of Columbus business and community leaders Tuesday were presented with ideas, from the Mississippi Economic Council, to “make the most of a down economy and put Mississippi in a place of great opportunity.” Burns Bottom soccer park a go: Last landowner agrees to sell11/6/2009 3:07:00 PM All 15 owners of parcels in a core group of land needed to locate a proposed soccer complex in Burns Bottom have agreed to sell their property to the county for its appraised value. Traffic biggest concern for neighbors of new health department11/5/2009 10:12:00 AM Most of the residents and business owners polled Wednesday aren’t bothered by the location of a new Lowndes County Health Department facility in close proximity to their homes or businesses, although they are concerned about increased traffic to an already busy area. Fate of historic building up in air11/4/2009 10:25:00 AM The Historic Preservation Commission and a community member have about 4 1/2 months to decide the fate of a historic Columbus building. Soccer complex land has lone holdout11/4/2009 10:25:00 AM While the Lowndes County Board of Supervisors negotiates with property owners for Burns Bottom land needed for a proposed soccer complex, city officials will work to find creative ways to help finance a $1.6 million master parks plan presented by the Columbus-Lowndes Recreation Authority. Jennifer Frazer’s business, Le Truck Catering, puts good food on wheels11/2/2009 9:49:00 AM Looking for bangers and mash? How ’bout some weiner schnitzel?
From vegemite sandwiches to Southern soul food, she can do it all … and more. Students learn valuable lessons from fun activities11/2/2009 9:49:00 AM Hundreds of rock stars Friday roamed the halls of Joe Cook Fine Arts Magnet School.
To mark the end of Red Ribbon Week, each of Cook’s 669 students and 100 teachers and staff dressed like rock stars and attended a concert by Senatobia DARE Officer Arthur Avant, who performed rap songs with a drug-free message. MUW has potential, ‘bright future,’ say legislators10/31/2009 10:01:00 PM With alumni divided over a name change and talk the school might be more useful as a satellite campus of another university, Mississippi University for Women faces many challenges, but local legislators agree it’s an institution with a potentially bright future. Local aerospace park part of regional partnership10/29/2009 10:38:00 AM The Golden Triangle Regional Global Aerospace Industrial Park will be included in The Aerospace Alliance, a newly launched private/public organization aimed at establishing the Gulf Coast and surrounding region as a world class aerospace, space and aviation corridor, officials said Tuesday. Former Franklin student returns to his roots10/27/2009 10:07:00 AM Dr. James Keeton, the interim vice chancellor for Health Affairs at The University of Mississippi Medical Center, Friday returned to his roots. School shows off new equipment designed to challenge physical education students10/27/2009 10:04:00 AM About 250 sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade New Hope Middle School students on a sunny Monday morning watched as a group of their classmates demonstrated their athletic prowess on brightly colored fitness equipment provided through a $26,000 Project Fit America grant. Soldiers return to Iraq after visiting with friends, family10/24/2009 11:23:00 PM After spending time with friends and family, a group of local soldiers is headed back to war in Iraq.
U.S. Army National Guard soldiers of the Alpha Battery 2-114 Strike Battalion, based in Columbus — Spc. Tommy Houser and Spc. Andrew Lepicier — who is serving his second term in Iraq, left Golden Triangle Regional Airport Saturday to return to Iraq after about two weeks of leave time. Search for Kaila Morris continues10/24/2009 11:18:00 PM The search continues for a Columbus woman missing since Sept. 17.
Kaila Morris, 21, was last seen by her stepfather, Robert Triplett, leaving the house he shared with her mother, Bonnie Morris Triplett, at 181 Golding Road. Sunday alcohol offers options, ‘convenience’10/24/2009 11:18:00 PM Several restaurant owners in Columbus and Starkville don’t expect Sunday or extended weekday sale hours to affect their business much. But it will offer their customers more options and convenience. Welty collection welcomed home10/23/2009 9:38:00 AM To open the 2009 annual Eudora Welty Writers’ Symposium, which honors the renowned MUW alumna, Mississippi University for Women President Claudia Limbert Thursday announced a collection of Welty works has come home. Council toughens curfew rules10/21/2009 9:46:00 AM The Columbus City Council Tuesday amended a city curfew ordinance to increase the penalties associated with violations, making parents responsible for their children.
A request to amend the ordinance, which was considered by a committee convened for the purpose, came after a recent spate of burglaries and robberies in downtown Columbus. Program helps teach kids love of reading10/20/2009 9:29:00 AM At West Lowndes Elementary School, 19 third-, fourth- and fifth-graders are learning about life, while improving their reading and vocabulary skills. Columbus considers bringing Air Force base into city limits10/15/2009 9:56:00 AM The Columbus City Council Tuesday expanded the area being studied for possible annexation into the city. Monday Profile: Engineering the future10/12/2009 11:05:00 AM COLUMBUS — Only 30 years old, Kevin Stafford, who currently serves as the city engineer for Columbus, already has 10 years of experience as an engineer with Neel-Schaffer, Inc. Heritage House: Senior class to build Habitat home as project10/12/2009 11:05:00 AM Heritage Academy students, parents and alumni have decided they can build it, if they build it together. Veterans admire changes in Columbus10/10/2009 7:57:00 PM Nearly 15 years after first visiting Columbus for a 50th anniversary celebration of V-E (Victory In Europe) Day, B.W. Curry, and his wife, Nancy, returned over the weekend and were impressed with how the city has changed. Local schools wired to alert parents, students10/9/2009 11:17:00 AM From mass communications programs to Facebook and Twitter, local school districts are utilizing current technology to better inform students, parents and the community of school happenings. Missing woman’s stepfather has history of sex crimes10/6/2009 9:18:00 AM COLUMBUS — A Lowndes County man arrested Saturday on charges of possessing child pornography had past convictions of sex crimes in Mississippi and Louisiana. New school calendar proving a ‘success’10/5/2009 10:59:00 AM Students and administrators reported a successful first week of Columbus Municipal School District’s “Success Academy” and enrichment programs for the new 11-month school calendar at Stokes-Beard Technology and Communications Magnet School and Sale International Studies Magnet School. Dozens search, pray for missing woman10/3/2009 6:15:00 PM Volunteer search parties have “exhausted all avenues” in an effort to locate Kaila Morris, 21, said Morris’ uncle, Leslie Williamson. A part-time Mississippi State University student and employee of The Cookie Store in Leigh Mall, Morris has been missing since Sept. 17. What happened to Kaila Morris?10/2/2009 9:46:00 AM So shy, Kaila Morris avoided “crowds” of more than two or three people.
So cautious, she would lock the door behind her stepbrother, with whom she shared a condominium in Starkville, when he would leave their residence to walk a very short distance to their mailbox. Supervisors ratify Burns Bottom park plan10/1/2009 9:25:00 AM The Lowndes County Board of Supervisors Wednesday ratified earlier decisions regarding a proposed soccer complex or downtown park in the Burns Bottom area, by voting to accept a donation of property and in-kind services from the city and to commit $3.25 million to the development of the soccer complex. Walking through history: Sale students take tour of historic Columbus to learn about communities9/28/2009 9:40:00 AM To complement their studies in “community views,” 55 first-graders from Sale International Studies Magnet School Thursday were treated to a driving tour of various Columbus landmarks, with Columbus Convention and Visitors Bureau Project Manager Nancy Carpenter as their tour guide. Burns Bottom dispute continues to sizzle9/26/2009 9:26:00 PM Lowndes County’s District 5 Supervisor Leroy Brooks Thursday convened a meeting of Columbus’ African-American elected officials, ministers and community leaders to inform them of the city and county’s recent efforts to locate a soccer complex in the Burns Bottom area of downtown Columbus and to discuss needed improvements to the city’s neighborhood parks. YMCA class teaches real-life skills to high school seniors9/25/2009 9:49:00 AM High school seniors in Lowndes County are learning to take care of and better themselves and their communities.
The Y Teens Life Skills class — offered through a partnership of the YMCA with the Lowndes County and Columbus Municipal school districts — currently is preparing students from Columbus, New Hope and West Lowndes high schools for life after graduation. Heavy rains threaten crops, cause accidents9/22/2009 9:16:00 AM Rain, rain, go away and don’t come again another day soon.
Extremely high amounts of rainfall, unusual for September, adversely have affected many facets of life, from crops to cops and the accidents to which they respond. Lee Middle School teacher Reed ‘making a difference’ after career change9/21/2009 10:07:00 AM In addition to teaching a reading comprehension program, Teen Biz, to Lee Middle School seventh graders, Angela Reed, 33, a native of Columbus and graduate of the University of Mississippi, teaches in the Crossroads after-school program at Mississippi University for Women, and is earning her master’s degree at Mississippi State University. Local students named Merit Scholarship semifinalists9/21/2009 10:07:00 AM A pair of Starkville High School students were among those recently named as 2010 National Merit Scholarship semifinalists. Couple renovates landmark building in heart of downtown9/21/2009 10:07:00 AM Years of painstaking effort finally have paid off for Billy and Cathy Coleman, who have been renovating three floors of the Bancorp South building at the corner of Main and Fifth Street, since purchasing the building in 2007.
Rain doesn’t dampen Hamilton Day; event draws record crowd9/19/2009 9:52:00 PM HAMILTON — Rain didn’t stop the people of Hamilton Saturday from showing appreciation for their community, while contributing funds for community improvements. Council, supervisors commit to improve city’s ‘front door’ with soccer park9/18/2009 11:28:00 AM With an eye to improving downtown Columbus, city and county officials Thursday agreed to build a soccer complex at Burns Bottom and to start discussions to expand the Trotter Convention Center. City donates land, services for Burns Bottom project9/16/2009 9:54:00 AM The Columbus City Council Tuesday unanimously voted to donate 14.9 acres of city-owned property at Burns Bottoms and in-kind services for a proposed six-field soccer complex to be located on 70 acres of property at Burns Bottom. Supes OK aerospace theme for industrial park9/16/2009 9:54:00 AM An effort to build an aerospace industrial park progressed Tuesday with support from the Lowndes County Board of Supervisors. Around the world in 14 books9/15/2009 9:27:00 AM Fourth-grade students at Sale International Studies Magnet School are visiting various Spanish-speaking countries through the work of Columbus High School International Baccalaureate Spanish students. Illness-related school absences abound9/14/2009 10:15:00 AM Local school districts are reporting an increase in the number illness-related absences and taking precautions against the H1N1 (swine) flu, while educating students on good hygiene habits, as well. Mississippi State, MUW boast enrollment increases9/12/2009 8:29:00 PM Attendance has increased across Mississippi’s university system, with Mississippi State University reporting record fall enrollment and Mississippi University for Women boasting one of the largest percentage increases. Local districts tighten belts amid cuts9/12/2009 8:29:00 PM Local school districts took heavy hits under state budget cuts levied this week, but most school district officials said they expected and prepared for the cuts. City, county to finalize Sportsplex plan9/9/2009 9:56:00 AM The Lowndes County Board of Supervisors Tuesday voted 3-2 to designate Burns Bottom property as the preferred site for a proposed six-field soccer complex. EMCC nursing school delayed9/8/2009 9:19:00 AM A plan for a new East Mississippi Community College nursing school and allied health facility has stalled before takeoff. Bus GPS systems aid schools9/6/2009 6:24:00 PM Parents be comforted and errant students beware: The Columbus Municipal School District, in partnership with Waters Transportation Services, LLC, is tracking your every move to and from school. Job training prepares students for the future9/6/2009 6:24:00 PM Employers showing confidence in Columbus High School students are being rewarded with motivated, dependable and cost-effective employees.
And the students gain valuable work experience. Prairie Arts Festival draws visitors from near, far9/5/2009 8:20:00 PM West Point’s Prairie Arts Festival is making a name for itself.
The hundreds of area residents who attended the 31st annual festival Saturday were joined by many out-of-state visitors, drawn to the festival through tales of good food, entertainment and shopping opportunities.
Team works to pinpoint what makes city unique9/3/2009 10:48:00 AM Key stakeholders in Columbus’ tourism trade Wednesday met with a member of a visiting charrette team to inform him of ways in which they currently do business. Franklin students benefit from fitness testing8/31/2009 10:49:00 AM Mississippi University for Women Health and Kinesiology students last week performed fitness tests on Franklin Medical Sciences and Wellness Magnet School students in a partnership with the Columbus Municipal School District to help the students learn to be fit for life. Aberdeen seeks marker to honor bluesman Bukka White8/28/2009 11:24:00 AM Bukka White, a cousin of legendary musician B.B. King, is said to have given King his first guitar.
Now, to recognize a local bluesman, honor his family still remaining in the area and bring in more tourists, a group of Aberdeen residents and fans of White are trying to raise money to get a Mississippi Blues Trail marker placed in downtown Aberdeen. Lowndes shows gains in state tests8/25/2009 10:54:00 AM Lowndes County School District students have reason to celebrate.
In recent Mississippi Curriculum Tests Second Edition, LCSD students tested proficient or advanced at rates above the state average in nearly every area. For Jamison, it’s all about the bugs8/24/2009 10:43:00 AM It’s all about the bugs for Steven Jamison, who’s not afraid to show a little fear on the job. Sale recognized as Distinguished School8/24/2009 10:43:00 AM Sale International Studies Magnet School has been recognized as a Title I Distinguished School. Columbus, Lowndes schools test worse than state average8/22/2009 10:48:00 PM Mississippi Curriculum Testing and Subject Area Test Program results show Columbus Municipal School District and Lowndes County School District students testing behind state averages.
But test results also show some gains in the districts’ scores over last year. Local schools make gains over last year’s test scores8/21/2009 11:04:00 AM Despite state test results, released Friday, that show local districts are lagging behind the state average in some areas, local school district officials are noting improvements from last year’s results. Columbus considers Sunday liquor sales8/20/2009 10:11:00 AM A majority of the Columbus City Council Wednesday favored changing a city ordinance to allow the sale of alcohol on Sundays and extend the on-premise sale hours of bars and restaurants. A new approach to play time8/17/2009 10:38:00 AM New additions at Joe Cook Fine Arts Magnet School are designed to help kids find creative ways to fight childhood obesity. Owner of storied Sandfield community cafe dies at 938/14/2009 11:58:00 AM Lucille Spain Brewer, 93, the owner of The Blue Goose, a beloved former Sandfield community café, died Wednesday at Trinity Healthcare Center. Flea fest ’09: Putting an end to the pest party8/14/2009 10:08:00 AM They’re tiny — adults usually only are 1/16 to 1/8-inch long — and excellent jumpers, with three pairs of legs, leaping vertically — up to seven inches — and horizontally, 13 inches. Supporters: MUW name change critical to survival8/11/2009 10:23:00 AM The Mississippi Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning is expected to vote, in October or November, on a new name for Mississippi University for Women, MUW officials said Monday. Reneau chosen as new name for MUW8/10/2009 10:30:00 AM It’s Reneau. Mississippi University for Women President Dr. Claudia Limbert announced the school’s choice for a new name this morning at a faculty/staff convocation.
And received a standing ovation from a full-house at Nissan Auditorium. 11-month schedules off to good start8/10/2009 10:16:00 AM Columbus Municipal School District officials report the 11-month “Success Academy” programs piloted at Sale International Studies Magnet School and Stokes-Beard Technology and Communication Magnet School, this year, are off to a good start, after intense preparation this summer. Downtown apartment vacancies remain low8/7/2009 10:53:00 AM Apartments in downtown Columbus remain hot properties, with vacancies few and far between.
Soldier back from Iraq makes first day of school special for nieces8/6/2009 10:45:00 AM Students in the Columbus Municipal School District Wednesday were the first in the Golden Triangle to go back to school.
And, for a family at Joe Cook Fine Arts Magnet School, it was a very special first day, highlighting the importance of education in an unusually profound way. Caledonia schools enjoy fresh start after 2008 tornado8/6/2009 10:45:00 AM Of the schools in the Lowndes County School District welcoming students back today, only two — Caledonia Middle School and Caledonia High School — boast the fresh sights and smells of new buildings. Program brings district’s new teachers up to speed8/3/2009 9:59:00 AM Before welcoming students back to school, Columbus Municipal School District officials welcomed new teachers Thursday and Friday with a Strategic Training for Academic Results new teacher induction program.
Eager to learn the CMSD way, 36 teachers participated in the induction program, including 18 teachers with no prior teaching experience. Parents, students welcomed to school district open houses8/1/2009 10:36:00 PM Local school districts are welcoming students and parents back to school with open houses in Lowndes, Oktibbeha and Clay county and municipal schools. Enthusiasm grows for magnet schools8/1/2009 10:36:00 PM Columbus Municipal School District officials report the city’s school choice program — first implemented in the fall of 2005 — still is successful. Class sizes remain normal for local school districts8/1/2009 10:36:00 PM Local school districts largely remain immune to a nationwide trend of falling state budgets pushing class sizes higher. Designers note natural trends in flooring options7/31/2009 11:00:00 AM Options for fashionable flooring abound, but floors still are the design element most often overlooked in homes, designers say. Therapist ‘following my heart’7/27/2009 10:45:00 AM COLUMBUS — A 2004 graduate of Mississippi State University, Kyndle Powell, 26, and her dogs, Max and Gabie, live in Columbus, where she works as both a hairdresser and a massage therapist, putting to good use her bachelor’s degree in business and marketing and her credentials as a licensed cosmetologist by helping to relax and heal local residents of the stresses of their everyday lives and more. Rotarians find literacy program a roaring success7/27/2009 10:41:00 AM The Starkville Rotarians are pinning their hopes for pre-kindergarten literacy on Theo, Cleo, Lionel and Leona. Packing up! Rental properties set for record vacancies7/24/2009 10:32:00 AM The apartment vacancy rate in 2009 will reach record high levels, with job losses leading to a decline in the number of renters, say various commercial real estate reports. Traveling exhibit honors Mississippi’s losses in Iraq and Afghanistan7/21/2009 11:27:00 AM Offering Columbus and Lowndes County residents a chance to pay their respects, a traveling memorial honoring fallen Mississippi soldiers this week stops in Columbus at Cadence Bank on Main Street. For teachers, institute’s math training adds up7/20/2009 Enthusiasm already was high in only the second day of the Creating High Achievement in Mathematics and Problem Solving outreach program at Mississippi University for Women’s Roger F. Wicker Center for Creative Learning. Home safety: Prepare for emergencies before they happen7/17/2009 Staggering statistics show the importance of homeowners being prepared not only for home fires — which account for 84 percent of all fire deaths — but other disasters also. Kids whip up creativity at summer camp7/13/2009 Peanut butter play dough seemed to be the most popular creation at Joe Cook Elementary Fine Arts Magnet School’s Cooking For Kids Camp last week, where the children also made edible finger paint and other delicacies. MUW name change: Research sheds new light on Reneau's history7/11/2009 Golden Triangle Crime Stoppers director stole reward money, jury finds7/11/2009 Selling the farm: Crop farms fare better than livestock7/10/2009 Crop farms are hot properties in today's real estate market, but beef, poultry and fish farms aren't faring as well, say local real estate agents. Smith: New council has 'the promise of vast possibility'7/3/2009 The new City Council must be a force of unity to propel Columbus forward, Dr. James A. Boyd of Zion Gate Missionary Baptist Church said Thursday, as the mayor and councilmen were sworn into office during a ceremony at the Trotter Convention Center. Columbus gas distributor: ‘I’m barely surviving’7/2/2009 Mississippi’s gas prices are among the lowest in the nation, but Columbus’ gas prices consistently remain among the highest in the state and local oil company executives seem reluctant to explain why. Teaching teachers: Educators brush up on math skills6/29/2009 Many Mississippi math students can expect to benefit from their teachers’ recent completion of a month-long institute geared toward bringing increased efficiency, student motivation and academic performance into the mathematics classroom. Animal lover finds dream job6/29/2009 A former Severstal employee, Van Smith, 38, found his true calling, after successfully applying to an ad for his dream job.
The Clay County resident and West Point native, Smith, who has two children — Walker, 7, and Morgan, 4, — with his wife, Kim, has been one of Columbus’ and Lowndes County’s two animal control officers since February.
Young scientists learn it’s all about the water6/26/2009 A dozen young scientists and environmentalists in the making Thursday beat the heat, while learning about watershed ecology, water quality and water stewardship during a Mississippi University for Women Science Enrichment Program workshop at Plymouth Bluff. Competition drives gas prices; Market will bear what consumers will pay6/25/2009 A review of daily gas prices on www.mississippigasprices.com is revealing.
Gas prices throughout the nation, as well as Mississippi, are falling, especially from the record-high prices of a year ago, yet Columbus stations consistently charge among the highest prices in the state. EMCC tuition program removing financial barriers for families6/22/2009 With the fall semester approaching, many students are taking advantage of East Mississippi Community College's new tuition guarantee program and school officials are expecting many more to do so. Art camps give youth creative outlet6/21/2009 If the past week of the Columbus Arts Council’s Summer Art Camp series is any indication, parents and their children agree the camp is a success. Crowds turn out for Juneteenth celebration6/21/2009 Not everyone at Sim Scott Park Saturday knew the historic significance of Juneteenth, but the 13th annual Juneteenth Festival had some kind of meaning for everyone present. New home construction up 17.2 percent nationwide; building slows in the Golden Triangle6/19/2009 In what may be a sign the nation’s housing recession is beginning to bottom out, nationwide, construction of new homes jumped in May by the largest amount in three months. EMCC nursing school moves step closer to construction6/19/2009 It’s proposed to be much more than just a new nursing school, but the added space from a new allied health facility would allow East Mississippi Community College to reach even more nursing students, as well as offer higher levels of study. Lowndes school camp keeps kids in learning mode through summer6/15/2009 For about 33 kids in first through fifth grades, summertime is fun time at West Lowndes Elementary School.
During the Lowndes County School District’s Summer Academic Enrichment Camp, students — in second through 12th grades — are participating in classes, using research-based techniques, to strengthen and enhance their performance in reading and mathematics. 4-County EPA hosts community health fair6/12/2009 Hundreds of health-conscious residents of the Golden Triangle and beyond Thursday visited 4-County Electric Power Association’s Health Fair at East Mississippi Community College’s Mayhew campus. Reneau, Waverley favored by MUW group6/12/2009 A committee charged by Mississippi University for Women President Dr. Claudia Limbert to give her recommendations for a new name for the school saw the most promise in the names Reneau University and Waverley University, during a session held Thursday on campus. Younger, ‘icon’ in Lowndes politics, dies at 786/12/2009 Charles Jerome Younger, a longtime former chancery clerk and justice of the peace who was described as an “icon” of the area, died this morning at his Columbus home following an extended illness. He was 78. Making homes more efficient: Local utility companies can help6/12/2009 Local utility companies are urging consumers to take steps necessary to make their homes more energy efficient and are providing resources to help. Local students among Merit Scholarship winners6/11/2009 A couple of local students are among more than 2,800 winners of National Merit Scholarships financed by colleges and universities. CMSD board approves Union Academy lease6/9/2009 The Columbus Municipal School District Board of Trustees Monday issued final approval of a lease allowing Recruitment and Training Program of Mississippi Inc. to occupy the former Union Academy building, located at 1425 10th Ave. N. Program caters to aspiring scientists6/8/2009 Room 216 of Hooper Science Hall, a laboratory in Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science, Thursday overflowed with the excitement of aspiring engineers, doctors, lawyers, anesthesiologists and physicists, preparing to launch small, handmade rockets. Juneteenth Fest to celebrate freedom, fellowship6/6/2009 Organizers of the 13th annual Juneteenth Festival, held June 18 through June 20, expect this year’s event to bring in additional tourism business for Columbus hotels and restaurants. New purposes for historic buildings6/6/2009 Columbus Municipal School District officials are working to ensure abandoned school buildings soon will have new purpose.
And Mississippi University for Women officials are looking at ways to utilize the building formerly occupied by Demonstration Elementary School. Sale Elementary preps to assume IB mantle6/4/2009 Columbus High School last year became an International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme school and now, as the result of more than 18 months of hard work, Sale International Studies Magnet School has a good chance of becoming an International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program school. Scott Ross solidifies another term as mayor of West Point6/3/2009 WEST POINT — West Point’s incumbent mayor, Democrat Scott Ross, Tuesday defeated independent candidate Harold Lathon.
Not including absentee and affidavit ballots, Ross received 1,673 votes, and Lathon received 626 votes. Drama, music, fun await at Camp Cook6/1/2009 Wearing green and yellow silk Hawaiian flower leis and clothes as brightly-colored as their moods, a couple dozen excited and energetic children Friday said, “Aloha” to summer during the first week of Camp Cook, a summer camp for kindergarten through sixth-grade students of the Columbus Municipal School District. Summer means business for hardworking student6/1/2009 At the age of 16, Hagan Walker already is becoming a captain of the computer industry. Considering the outer look of your home can increase its appeal in a slow market5/29/2009 It’s a buyer’s market, and local landscapers, also affected by the recent economic downturn, join Realtors in urging sellers to consider the curb appeal of their property. Family-owned funeral homes merge5/28/2009 A couple of long-standing family-owned Columbus funeral homes have become one. ‘It’s knowing I made a difference’5/26/2009 STARKVILLE — Holly Travis already has made more of a difference in the lives of Starkville residents than most of her peers.
And she’s only just beginning. Work under way at site of new city middle school5/21/2009 Construction work is proceeding on the Columbus Middle School, which is scheduled to open in August 2010. ‘It’s all about the children’: Franklin Academy wellness teacher given award for going ‘above and beyond’ to serve students5/21/2009 In receiving the Columbus Municipal School District’s Star Catcher award Wednesday, Terrie Gooch was caught by surprise. Use it, don’t lose it: Schools urge parents to keep kids learning during summer months5/18/2009 Active kids are more likely to succeed, say Columbus and Lowndes County elementary school principals, urging parents to keep children engaged in learning activities, even when their school days have ended for the summer. Early foundation: Pre-k gives students much-needed boost5/16/2009 The early bird catches the worm, but Mississippi remains one of the few states in the nation without a state-funded pre-kindergarten program, which likely would go a long way toward moving the state up from the bottom rankings of educational progress. Hundreds gather to celebrate past5/9/2009 Columbus’ annual Sandfield Eighth of May celebration is about preserving history and keeping tradition alive, say event organizers. Judge to DePriest, plaintiff: ‘Try to Settle’5/9/2009 The five-day trial brought against Columbus businessman Donald DePriest by former associate Oliver Phillips concluded Friday, with Lowndes County Chancery Judge Kenneth Burns urging the parties to “try to settle” the case and giving attorneys with both parties 30 days to submit summary briefs before his ruling on the matter. Walking the ‘Long Blue Line’: Despite challenges, students focus, earn degrees5/9/2009 The 2009 graduating class of Mississippi University for Women includes at least two outstanding students, who mastered the art of time management. Depriest says accuser was never a partner5/8/2009 The trial brought against Donald DePriest by former associate Oliver Phillips is expected to conclude today. Court hears from second partner in DePriest trial5/6/2009 Day 2 of the trial between Columbus businessmen Oliver Phillips and Don DePriest included testimony from Phillips — who is suing DePriest for close to $10 million — and DePriest, who countersued, claiming Phillips’ case is not valid. Busy mom addicted to exercise5/4/2009 Lisa Atkins is a very busy woman.
In addition to caring for her son, Sloan, 12, she teaches yoga and Pilates classes, and a Yogalates fusion class, to Health and Kinesiology Department students at Mississippi University for Women, leads private in-home sessions and, on Saturdays, assists KK Norris, the owner of The Attic vintage clothing store, in the downtown Columbus shop. Program helps prepare church’s preschoolers5/4/2009 Barely tall enough to see over the desktop, a group of three-year-olds Friday morning sat transfixed, wearing large black headphones and staring at computer screens across which brightly-colored pictures danced. County schools honor teacher, parent, administrator of the year5/3/2009 The Lowndes County School District board of trustees Friday recognized a teacher, administrator and parent, for their indefatigable, meaningful service, in its annual award ceremony. Schools can opt out of proposed 11-month calendar5/1/2009 Parents overwhelmingly are supporting a proposed 11-month calendar for elementary school students in the Columbus Municipal School District, said CMSD Superintendent Dr. Del Phillips. United Way, short of fund goal, asks for support4/30/2009 For the United Way of Lowndes County — which has weathered many storms in more than 50 years of service — the current economic downturn has meant less giving in a time of more need. Making a difference: Cook parent honored with statewide award4/24/2009 Sitting in the sunny, colorful lobby of Cook Elementary Fine Arts Magnet School Wednesday morning, Maria Rincon, 41, pushed back her dark curls, smiled widely and spread her thumb and index fingers an inch apart to indicate the small amount — “only this much!” — of English she spoke when, seven years ago, she first came to the United States from Venezuela. Volunteers recognized for service to school4/24/2009 Cook Elementary Fine Arts Magnet School, which has 658 students and 35 academic teachers, has about 75 volunteers; they were honored with a volunteer appreciation breakfast Thursday morning. CAFB commander touts advances in local education4/23/2009 Columbus Air Force Base officials expect a 2009 education survey, to be completed this summer, to reflect CAFB’s proactive approach to education. School districts looking for new ways to save4/23/2009 The county schools won’t see their usual fleet of new buses this year.
City school buses soon may be owned and operated by an outside company.
Students will have fewer field trips; teachers will attend fewer workshops. One to remember: Despite damp weather, Cotton District Arts Festival draws art, music lovers4/18/2009 Gray skies and intermittent rain diminished the morning crowd, but did little to dampen the enjoyment of hundreds who participated in the Cotton District Arts Festival in Starkville on Saturday. CMSD seeks input on year-round school4/17/2009 Columbus Municipal School District officials are gathering input from parents and teachers on a new 11-month school calendar, proposed by CMSD Superintendent Dr. Del Phillips. City school board awards middle school construction bid; work to begin in May4/8/2009 In a special meeting this morning, the Columbus Municipal School District board of trustees awarded a bid for construction of Columbus Middle School, clearing the way for improvements to be made on existing city schools. Columbus High student receives prestigious national scholarship4/8/2009 The Greek dramatist Euripides — who famously said, “Whosoever neglects learning in his youth, loses his past and is dead to the future” — probably would be impressed by Wesley Gordon. Race cited as reason for appointment4/7/2009 The Lowndes County Board of Supervisors Monday voted to appoint Willie Jones as the District 5 representative to the Lowndes County Port Authority board of directors. Pageant hopeful strives to set ‘good example’4/6/2009 Miss North Central Mississippi is a perfectly poised picture of style and grace, but her sharp wit, cultivated intelligence and disciplined focus make Caitlyn Smith, 19, the contestant to dispel the old-fashioned stereotype beauty pageants — now called scholarship programs — are all about looks. Columbus’ graduation rate continues to climb4/4/2009 School officials are working to further improve the numbers, but recently released data shows the Columbus Municipal School District ahead of regional competitors, with lower dropout rates and better completion and graduation rates. Vendors, shoppers: Giant Possum Town Yard Sale warrants repeating4/4/2009 Most of the about 50 vendors who sold items at the Giant Possum Town Yard Sale, Saturday at the Hitching Lot Farmers Market, agreed the event is worth repeating, especially considering today’s economic woes. Possum Town Yard Sale set for Saturday4/2/2009 Main Street Columbus and the Hitching Lot Farmers’ Market invite everyone to jump into spring Saturday by visiting the Giant Possum Town Yard Sale. A facelift for an old friend4/1/2009 At First United Methodist Church in downtown Columbus, a 14-month project to prepare for the future while preserving the past is nearing completion. New Cook dance studio only two months away3/28/2009 Kids, get out your dancing shoes; the new dance studio at Cook Fine Arts Magnet School is scheduled to be complete June 1. Volunteer of the Year was inspired by father3/27/2009 Following in his father’s footsteps led Chris Jenkins, 37, to be named the 2008 Volunteer of the Year by the United Way of Lowndes County. Despite dip in giving, United Way helps 17,000 in 20083/27/2009 In tough economic times, contributions to the United Way of Lowndes County have been down, but the organization — in its 55th year — was able to distribute about $310,000 to the agencies it serves. Cook pilots literacy program: ‘Music is like Velcro to the brain’3/26/2009 Visitors walking past Cook Elementary Fine Arts Magnet School’s Falcon Lab are likely to be serenaded by 23 young voices simultaneously singing 23 different songs. ‘She’s in heaven; there’s no doubt’3/25/2009 The crowded gymnasium at Lee Middle School Tuesday stood as a testament to the many lives touched by Jennifer Nicole Jackson. TV veteran balances work, volunteerism3/16/2009 At the age of 31, Susan Bell already is a veteran of the television industry.
Born, in Anchorage, Alaska, to Darriel and Judy Pulliam, Bell, who has two sisters, has lived in Columbus since she was a child. Seniors ready for workforce reentry3/14/2009 Some simply call them elderly, but reliable, motivated and rich in life experiences are better terms to describe the members of the 2009 Experience Works class. Phillips proposes keeping students year-round, adding days to schedule3/10/2009 At the end of the day, the teachers say they just didn’t have enough time, said Columbus Municipal School District Superintendent Dr. Del Phillips, proposing an extended school calendar to improve student retention and increase opportunities for learning. Legendary local bluesman Willie King dies at 663/9/2009 Willie King, whose love of community rivaled his love of music, died of a massive heart attack on his birthday Sunday, a day after performing at a special concert in Columbus. Youth Challenge founder pleads guilty to fraud2/27/2009 The Columbus man who founded Youth Challenge — a program aimed at keeping at-risk kids out of jail — Thursday pleaded guilty to seven counts of Medicaid fraud and was sentenced to serve 20 years in prison. Counselor: Pulsifer had a ‘history of grandiose, delusional thinking’2/26/2009 The fraud trial of Aaron Pulsifer, founder of the Youth Challenge program aimed at keeping at-risk teens out of jail, continued this morning in Lowndes County Circuit Court. Joe Johnson discrimination trial continued until next year2/21/2009 The trial for Columbus Police Department Assistant Chief Joe Johnson’s racial discrimination lawsuit against the city, which was scheduled to start Monday, has been continued until January of 2010.
In January of this year, Johnson’s attorney, Jim Waide, filed a Coleman: Bankruptcy won't affect city work2/18/2009 Man with a voice for radio moves face, message to TV2/16/2009 Fans across the country know him simply as Scotty D, but Scott Daniels is more than a radio and television personality; he’s also an activist, interested in giving back to the community he calls home. Supes updated on water management projects, city clean-up opportunity2/14/2009 The new executive director of the Tombigbee River Valley Water Management District, Joe Tanko, Friday introduced himself to the Lowndes County Board of Supervisors and relayed status updates on seven projects proposed over the past four or five years. Leaders: Quality of life important to future2/13/2009 City, county to get public input on recreation2/4/2009 County to spend $1.5M on roads over next four years2/3/2009 Shaping up and shrinking down1/31/2009 It’s been about three weeks since the start of the Lowndes Shrinkdown, and Lowndes County residents still are shrinking: The program began with 515 participants, and 75 percent are still going strong. Mixed response to sin tax legislation1/30/2009 According to data from the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, Mississippi is one of six states whose cigarette tax has not seen an increase since 1999 or earlier. Search our archives for older stories by Kristin Mamrack
