Articles by Amanda Lien
Monday profile: ‘Not a cookie-cutter kind of person’
Kody Rickert, 17, says his trademark is his mismatched Crocs.
Columbus road construction still under way
The Mississippi Department of Transportation has two projects underway in Columbus.
City to issue bond for storm recovery
Columbus city councilmen voted unanimously to begin the process of issuing a $5 million general obligation bond to fund recovery from a Feb. 23 tornado and subsequent flooding that did $9.3 million worth of damage to city property.
CVB: Pilgrimage brought up to 10,000 visitors, $600K in economic impact
Gaines Gaskin and Kathy Novotny both love participating in Pilgrimage.
Both women opened their historic Columbus homes between March 28 and April 6 for the 79th year of the annual tradition.
City to pay for Columbus-Lowndes Airport consultant
Columbus city councilmen voted 5-1 to enter an agreement with Lowndes County to pay a consultant to the Columbus-Lowndes Airport board despite ongoing concerns about the city’s finances.
Lowndes County begins summer work program
Twelve high school and college students began working on the Lowndes County Road Department Monday as part of a 12-week summer work program.
Airport board: Columbus-Lowndes airport improving under new operator
Zero is not usually a good number. But to Jared Rabren, it’s a measure of relief when it comes to the Columbus-Lowndes Airport.
Council hires 6 seasonal parks workers in spite of freeze
Columbus councilmen voted 5-1 Tuesday to hire six temporary workers to staff Parks and Recreation summer programs despite the city operating under a hiring freeze.
New Columbus CFO facing high stakes, expectations
Columbus’ new Chief Financial Officer Deliah Vaughn came to City Hall this week facing an uphill climb.
Business owners, community raise money for Zachary’s
When Lindsay Nicholson heard about the fire at Zachary’s last weekend that gutted the building’s interior, she immediately knew she had to do something to help.
CRA lists Burns house previously up for demolition
Though the Mississippi Department of Archives and History did not make it a state landmark, the Taylor-Burns House on Third Street North has gotten one last chance to avoid demolition.
Market Street festival coming this weekend
The 24th annual Market Street Festival in downtown Columbus will take place this weekend.
Starting Friday, residents and Columbus visitors can enjoy live music, vendors and other entertainment downtown for the annual festival.
Hybrid operating room unveiled at Baptist
A recently completed multi-million dollar operating room at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle will enable surgeons to perform faster, more accurate and less invasive procedures.
Monday Profile: Andre Ray brings collaborative spirit to art at area recovery center
One of Andre Ray’s favorite parts about art is its collaborative nature.
Zachary’s ‘will be back’ after fire
In the aftermath of the fire that badly damaged Zachary’s restaurant Sunday, Eric Ford and Zachary’s general manager Wilson Beck had a difficult task: removing the photographs, signs and other singed memorabilia from the walls of the restaurant.
CFR will be recommended for reaccreditation
Columbus Fire and Rescue’s national accreditation is all but official, a Center for Public Safety Excellence Peer Assessment Team announced Thursday.
Chancery court documents available through online database
Since 2017, Lowndes County Deputy Chancery Clerk Cindy Eggar Goode has been building up her office’s online database of records, scanning in thousands of documents and carefully recording each one.
J5, Edwards accrue hefty IRS tax liens
Columbus project manager Jabari Edwards has accumulated more than $688,000 in federal tax liens since 2017, either personally or through one of his many business ventures.
Lowndes County declared federal disaster area in response to Feb. 23 tornado
President Donald Trump has declared Lowndes and six other counties in Mississippi federal disaster areas in response to a Feb. 23 EF-3 tornado and subsequent flooding, according to a Mississippi Emergency Management Agency press release issued Tuesday.
Three CPD officers accept promotions with no raises
Three Columbus police officers will accept promotions but will not receive their corresponding pay raises until the city lifts a hiring freeze imposed to help curb spending.