Oktibbeha Circuit Clerk, board president face election challenges

New challengers have emerged for Oktibbeha County’s circuit clerk, District 2 supervisor and coroner, meaning incumbents must now launch their own campaigns for re-election.

Activists targeting Tuesday’s aldermen meeting

On Monday, Starkville residents will march in solidarity of equal rights during Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

One day later, aldermen are expected to rubberstamp decisions that critics say take away equality from members of the lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender community.

Starkville, Oktibbeha likely to issue industrial bonds by May

The Golden Triangle Development LINK is expected to ask Oktibbeha County supervisors and Starkville aldermen to issue a combined $10 million in economic development bonds.

Gulf search for missing Starkville kayaker ends

Search and rescue efforts to locate a missing Starkville man were called off Tuesday after crews located a small kayak floating about three miles off-shore in the Gulf of Mexico.

Tagert says Russell St. redesign work should begin next year

A major infrastructure project that will boost pedestrian and bike connectivity in the Russell Street corridor should begin in 2016.

Petitioners deliver about 2K signatures against bond

Oktibbeha County School District Conservator Margie Pulley took no action on a proposed $13.2 million bond after opponents delivered about 2,000 signatures.

Oktibbeha school bond opponents say they’ve reached petition requirements

Organizers hoping to force a proposed $13.2 million Oktibbeha County School District bond to the polls are expected to hit the required petition tally after county officials worked Monday night vetting signatures.

Aldermen expand once-shunned financing option for Cadence purchase

Starkville aldermen previously bemoaned the issuance of certificates of participation to construct a new city hall and their subsequent passage by the prior administration as a financial burden that circumvented the will of the people.

Time running out for bond petitioners

Although petitioners hoping to force a $13.2 million-maximum Oktibbeha County School District bond to an election were short of signatures Saturday, organizers stepped up door-to-door canvassing efforts this weekend.

Wiseman vetoes board’s actions targeting LGBT employees

Starkville Mayor Parker Wiseman issued his promised vetoes of two board resolutions.

Perkins initiated closed-door policy changes

Documents show Vice Mayor Roy A. Perkins initiated Tuesday’s executive session motions that repealed Starkville’s resolution supporting equality and amended the city’s plus-one insurance option to only spouses in state-recognized marriages.

Wiseman: Aldermen offered no explanation for LGBT-related policy discussions in executive session

Starkville Mayor Parker Wiseman slammed aldermen Wednesday for removing LGBT-friendly policies without public debate and began the process vetoing the board’s action.

Aldermen kill equality, same-sex insurance resolutions

Five Starkville aldermen on Tuesday repealed the city’s equality resolution and ended its plus-one insurance option available to workers’ same-sex partners.

Supervisors refuse closed-door hospital discussions

A coalition of three supervisors rebuked an attempt to discuss OCH Regional Medical Center finances in executive session Monday.

Aldermen: Future raises unobtainable without austere spending

The three-person Starkville Audit and Budget Committee told city department heads not to expect across-the-board pay increases for workers.

Upcoming Oktibbeha County Justice Court races flush with Democrats

Election matchups for a variety of county-level seats began taking shape Monday as 21 candidates filed qualification paperwork to enter this year’s race.

Golden Triangle avoids storm’s wrath

A line of thunderstorms knocked down trees and knocked offline a portion of Oktibbeha County’s power grid Saturday afternoon.

Usage proposal expected for old drug court building

Oktibbeha County supervisors are expected to hear a private proposal for a resident to utilize the county’s old drug court facility, but an outright sale or long-term lease is doubtful as officials have eyed using the building to help ease governmental capacity needs.

Petitioners launch campaign to force school bond to ballot

A number of Oktibbeha County residents are gathering signatures in an effort to force a potential $13.2 million-maximum school bond to a voter referendum this year.

SPD makes additional arrests after Hartness gunfire incident

Three people are now behind bars after a Starkville Police Department investigation into a Sunday shooting yielded two additional arrests.