Articles by Alex Holloway
Spruill gives state of the city at Rotary
Starkville has seen some good times, and Mayor Lynn Spruill doesn’t see that changing anytime soon.
Froma Harrop: Could we survive as they did?
Lost for 17 days in a Hawaiian jungle, all alone in only a tank top and capri yoga pans, I’m not sure what I would do.
Officials waiting on statement on Oktibbeha Kampgrounds incident
Law enforcement officials hope to soon have a formal statement from the victims in a viral video that shows a worker at an Oktibbeha County campsite threatening a black couple with a gun.
Starkville voters OK tourism tax increase for parks
The city will implement a new 1-percent addition to its tourism taxes after voters overwhelmingly approved it in Thursday’s special election.
Nearly 74 percent of voters favored the tax, which passed with 1,689 votes for and 600 votes against.
KOA employee fired after pulling gun on visitors
Kampgrounds of America has fired a worker who threatened two visitors to a campsite at the Oktibbeha County Lake, according to a company spokesman.
Spruill, Castleberry lead donors in parks initiative support campaign
Vote Yes for Starkville Parks has raised more than $8,000 in its campaign to raise support for a 1-percent increase to Starkville’s tourism taxes, with nearly half of that coming from the city’s mayor and a prominent developer.
Kampgrounds of America employee threatens visitors with pistol
Kampgrounds of America has terminated an employee that a video shows threatening visitors with a gun.
Ex-graduate teaching assistant sues MSU for sex discrimination, retaliation
A former graduate teaching assistant has sued Mississippi State University, claiming she was fired last fall due to sex discrimination and retaliation for attempting to lodge a complaint against a male researcher.
‘Vote Yes’ group misses campaign finance reporting deadline
A representative for Vote Yes for Starkville Parks says the group is seeking input on whether it needs to submit a campaign finance report after missing Thursday’s filing deadline for a May 30 special election.
Starkville nabs $25K grant to repave J.L. King walking track
Starkville will soon repave a roughly half-mile walking track at J.L. King Park after getting a $25,000 grant from the Christopher Reeve Foundation.
Historic rainfall prompts Starkville to examine runoff
It’s been a historic year for rainfall in Starkville.
The city has been bombarded by heavy rains through the winter and spring, including a series of significant rain events in April that led to flooding throughout town.
Vaughn blasts annexation plan as racially motivated
Henry Vaughn had some grievances to air at the beginning of Tuesday’s board of aldermen meeting.
Vaughn, who represents Ward 7, opened the aldermen comment period at the start of the meeting by blasting a series of initiatives the city has undertaken, from its annexation plan to efforts to build a new park.
Area YTD sales tax collections up across Golden Triangle
Fiscal year-to-date sales tax collections are up across the Golden Triangle, despite a dip in revenue for the month in Columbus.
County continues seeking easements for Blackjack Road project
Oktibbeha County is moving along in discussions with several property owners to acquire needed easements to begin a road improvement project along Blackjack Road.
Emerson withdrawing from J.L. King Center
After 25 years, changes are coming to the J.L. King Center as funding from Emerson’s Family Centered Programs has run out.
Fred’s Starkville location closing
Fred’s in Starkville will close its doors this summer amid a second round of more than 100 store closures across the Southeast.
MSU corporation purchases Cadence Bank
Mississippi State University will have a new downtown presence in Starkville after its affiliate Research and Technology Corporation closed on a deal to purchase Cadence Bank.
SPD arrests two, seeking one suspect for shooting
Starkville police have arrested two men and are seeking a third in connection with a shooting at the Chandler Park Apartments.
SPD honors area’s fallen officers in National Police Week memorial service
It’s been a few days more than four years since Liquori Tate was fatally shot in Hattiesburg.
Tate, a Starkville native and Hattiesburg Police Department officer, and fellow officer Benjamin Deen were killed on May 9, 2015. Tate was 25 at the time. Deen was 34.
Troop 45 dedicates renovated hut, pavilion
Martha Barnes wanted to cry when she walked into the newly renovated Boy Scout Troop 45 hut on Monday evening.
Barnes, who’s served with the troop committee since 1972, said the troop has gone through several homes through the years, and even toyed at one point with the idea of building its own hut.