Articles by Carl Smith
Oktibbeha County employee files suit against supes
A sexual discrimination lawsuit filed by Oktibbeha County Emergency Management Deputy Director Kristen Campanella alleges the past board of supervisors did not hire her to lead the department because she is a woman.
SFD prepares programs for community
Starkville residents of all ages will soon have the opportunity to see what it’s like to be a firefighter.
SOCSD trustees approve first round of school bonds
The Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District Board of Trustees unanimously approved a $5.49 million bond issuance Tuesday and is expected to issue the remainder of a previously adopted $16 million-maximum intent notice in early 2017.
Oktibbeha deputies seek 2 in assault, robbery
Oktibbeha County deputies are searching for two Starkville men who allegedly assaulted and robbed two victims in the Sunset subdivision.
State violation, material weaknesses found in Starkville audit
Starkville’s financial auditor cited the city for non-compliance with state law, three instances of material weaknesses and seven minor deficiencies in its review of Fiscal Year 2015.
Woman charged in alleged stabbing
A Starkville woman is behind bars after she was arrested for allegedly stabbing a victim.
Starkville braces to handle minimum pay mandate
A minimum pay mandate, an adjustment to solve salary compression issues and raises for four deputy court clerks are forecast to increase Starkville’s personnel budget by almost $35,000 in the upcoming fiscal year.
Bulldog Bash leaving Cotton District
Bulldog Bash, an iconic music festival traditionally set in the Cotton District, is moving to Mississippi State University’s amphitheater because of logistical issues with local development and business owners, the university’s student government association announced Friday.
Hamilton taking leave of absence from circuit clerk position
Oktibbeha County Circuit Clerk Glenn Hamilton will take a temporary leave of absence from his position due to health reasons, his attorney announced Friday.
Colom eyes Aug. move-in date to new office space
District Attorney Scott Colom is hopeful he and his staff can move into new Columbus office space in August after Clay, Lowndes, Oktibbeha and Noxubee counties agreed to split the costs of a new lease and utility bills.
Starkville’s outside funding changes slightly for FY 17
Starkville taxpayers will continue to fund external entities and organizations at the same overall rate in Fiscal Year 2016-17 after aldermen approved a level, $418,723 outside contributions budget Tuesday.
Investigator: Preliminary results indicate Oktibbeha County man was shot
Preliminary results indicate an Oktibbeha County resident died as the result of a gunshot wound on the Fourth of July, Oktibbeha County Sheriff’s Department Lt. Brett Watson confirmed Wednesday.
Wynn scolds Perkins over anti-consent agenda stance
Growing agitation over Ward 6 Alderman Roy A. Perkins’ stance against utilizing consent agendas came to a head Tuesday when Ward 2 Alderman Lisa Wynn scolded the mayor pro tempore for keeping board members, department heads and the public late into the night and attempted to change procedural rules for meetings.
Foul play possible in Oktibbeha man’s death
The Oktibbeha County Sheriff’s Department is treating the death of a Walter Bell Road man Monday as a homicide as investigators piece together what happened.
High bids could change scope of SPD renovations
Over-budget bids for Starkville Police Department renovations could force aldermen to scale back the scope of the project.
Colom continues lobbying for new office space
Two of the four counties within Mississippi’s 16th Circuit Court District have tentatively agreed to financially support a move to new office space by District Attorney Scott Colom and his staff, and Colom said he hopes supervisors in Clay and Oktibbeha counties will also pitch in for the cause.
Duplicate road names could hamstring emergency responders
Oktibbeha County Emergency Management Agency Director Shank Phelps wants Starkville to rename two roads with similar counterparts in the county before first responders are hampered in life-or-death situations.
Industrial park bonds set for fall issuance
Oktibbeha County and Starkville are set to issue a combined $14 million in bonds to fund a new industrial park this fall after supervisors approved their half of the issuance notice Monday.
Mother arrested after newborn tests positive for drugs
The Starkville Police Department charged a mother with aggravated assault Thursday after her newborn baby tested positive for drugs.
Judge: Holloway, Couvion cases require additional investigation
Oktibbeha County Justice Court Judge C. Martin Haug continued the simple assault trials of Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District Superintendent Lewis Holloway and his neighbor, Roy Couvion, after agreeing to a motion seeking additional investigation time after new evidence emerged.
