Articles by Brian Jones
Volunteers seek stronger ways to help clean litter
Mayor Keith Gaskin, city officials and volunteers from the Pick It Up, Possum Town community group all came together Wednesday afternoon to discuss the city’s litter and illegal dumping issues.
Council approves Airbnb over neighbor objections
Columbus City Council approved a request for a residence on Northside to become an Airbnb Tuesday night, although at least one neighbor expressed concerns.
County OKs $3 million in incentives for mall rehab
The Lowndes County Board of Supervisors on Monday morning approved a contract establishing about $3 million in economic incentives for Hull Group to begin rehabilitating Leigh Mall.
Business: As liquor store owners compete for hard-to-find bottles, some turn to bots
Strange times call for strange measures.
In the world created by the pandemic, business owners have to struggle with a host of issues: tangled supply chains, strained manpower pools, shortages of pretty much everything. This is as true in the liquor industry as it is anywhere else, and, just like anyone else, liquor store owners are thinking outside the box.
CLW seeks $1M from city’s ARPA for sewer projects
Columbus Light and Water General Manager Angela Verdell appeared at the Columbus City Council’s Thursday work session to request about $1 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding to put toward three wastewater projects.
Longtime Columbus icon honored with original song
“I dance better than I sing,” Mayor Keith Gaskin warned a crowd of about 25 well-wishers — and one poor guy who just wanted to eat lunch — Thursday afternoon at Zachary’s restaurant. He, along with local musician Hoot Wilder, then launched into a country-tinged song honoring one of Columbus’ most storied residents: Edwina “Mother Goose” Williams.
Photo: Gas station clean up
Contractors from Witt Works Environmental, of Nesbit, have been removing old gasoline tanks from the former Chevron site, located at the corner of Fifth Street and Fifth Avenue North.
Storm shelter need stressed at Crawford meeting
If severe weather hits, people west of the river have nowhere to go. District 4 Lowndes County Supervisor Jeff Smith wants his constituents to know that he is working to change that.
CPD cracking down on juvenile curfew violations
Former city councilman Bill Gavin used to say that nothing good happened after midnight. That’s a message the Columbus Police Department wants the public to take to heart, as it will start cracking down on juvenile curfew violations.
Old Fred’s developer gets 8-year tax exemption
The city council has granted an eight-year ad valorem tax exemption to the developer of the former Fred’s building downtown.
Mickens rips Dillon for inefficiency, asks for his keys
Questions about Federal Emergency Management Agency reimbursements for flood damage at the Riverwalk and the Sen. Terry Brown Amphitheater on Tuesday led to an attempt to strip Public Information Officer Joe Dillon of some of his job responsibilities and take away his keys to city facilities.
Lowndes districts 1 & 2 to get smaller in redistricting plan
The Lowndes County Board of Supervisors approved a draft redistricting plan during its regular meeting Monday that will see District 1 and District 2 give up land to the other three districts.
Poplar Street home targeted again by gunfire
Shots were fired Sunday for a second time in about a week into a house at the center of a fatal shooting, according to Columbus Police Chief Fred Shelton.
