Articles by Carl Smith
Mayor candidates mostly agree at forum
Johnny Moore, Damion Poe and Lynn Spruill — the three Democrats vying to become Starkville’s next mayor — spent most of Monday’s Starkville-Oktibbeha Voter Education Initiative’s town hall agreeing on numerous issues while saying their own unique vision for the city’s future deserves a majority of voters’ support in the May 2 primary.
Minor injured, another arrested after Sunday shooting in Oktibbeha
One 15-year-old is recovering after he was shot by another Sunday in the Glenn Lane area of Oktibbeha County.
MSU’s Grant Gallery expected to open this winter
Mississippi State University officials say the somewhat unconventional trip former President Ulysses S. Grant’s collection of official documents, personal letters and other artifacts took to Mississippi should formally conclude this winter when a new addition housing the papers at Mitchell Memorial Library is expected to open.
Starkville man charged with abusing a vulnerable person
A Starkville man will be arraigned this summer in the Mississippi First Circuit Court District this summer after he was arrested for allegedly striking a vulnerable patient in Tupelo.
3 rural fire districts improve insurance ratings
Property owners within Central and East Oktibbeha County volunteer fire departments’ coverage areas and Sturgis city limits could pay lower insurance premiums after the areas were given Class 7 ratings by the Mississippi State Ratings Bureau, Oktibbeha County Fire Services Coordinator Kirk Rosenhan said.
Candidates: Tough decisions ahead with Starkville’s budget
Almost all of the 16 Starkville mayoral and aldermen candidates present at Thursday’s public forum at the Sportsplex agreed the incoming administration will face tough decisions with its budget as it attempts to solve staffing issues within the police and fire departments while also tackling a growing list of infrastructure needs.
Super Bulldog Weekend, arts festival set for this weekend
Two signature Starkville events — Mississippi State University’s Super Bulldog Weekend and the Starkville Area Arts Council’s Cotton District Arts Festival — are set to draw in tourists from across the Southeast this weekend.
Local, state charities will compete in Starkville Restaurant Week
One statewide and two local organizations will vie for a $5,000 donation during this year’s Starkville Restaurant Week.
Change order for SPD flagpoles draws Perkins’ interest
An innocuous request to install three decorative flagpoles atop Starkville Police Department yielded a strong warning to the future administration against raising additional banners from Ward 6 Alderman Roy A. Perkins Tuesday.
Supervisors shaking up Oktibbeha Co. road dept.
District 4 Supervisor Bricklee Miller called for a top-down study for the Oktibbeha County Road Department Monday after supervisors named County Administrator Emily Garrard as its interim leader and reduced its two grubbing and construction crews’ upcoming summer work hours.
Starkville, MDOT exploring alternatives for North Jackson St. delineators
A future attempt to replace North Jackson Street road delineators with a concrete median may be negated by a lack of space for such an improvement, Mayor Parker Wiseman and Northern District Transportation Commissioner Mike Tagert said.
Officials hopeful for MHP allocation despite state’s inaction
Two area lawmakers are hopeful legislators will allocate at least $6 million for a new Mississippi Highway Patrol Troop G substation in Starkville during an expected special session after the Mississippi Legislature ended its 2017 regular session Wednesday with many budgetary items left hanging in the balance.
Supervisors mulling specific road improvements as bond sale approaches
Oktibbeha County supervisors are developing a preliminary list of roads they hope to improve with an upcoming 15-year, $14.5 million-maximum bond issuance.
Starkville rubbish landfill reopening today
The Starkville Sanitation and Environmental Services Department is expected to reopen the city- and county-operated rubbish landfill today after a new operating permit was approved by the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality.
Starkville mayoral candidates pledge accessibility
Starkville mayoral candidates Johnny Moore, Damion Poe and Lynn Spruill all say they’ll keep their future City Hall office door open to the public if elected and pledged to remain accessible to the community during the Monday’s first public forum of this year’s municipal election cycle.
Row between aldermen over SPD incident intensifies
A row between two aldermen highlights the board’s recent division over its decision to forward investigatory materials from an incident involving a former Starkville Police Department officer to the district attorney’s office for criminal review.
Starkville mayoral candidate forum set for Monday
Starkville voters will get a chance to hear the city’s three mayoral candidates lay out their platforms during a 7 p.m. public forum Monday at the Greensboro Center.
Little: Aldermen ‘overreach’ in handling officer incident
Ward 3 Alderman David Little said the board’s decision to send a potential case against a former Starkville Police Department officer to District Attorney Scott Colom for possible prosecution represents a government overreach.
Carver: Future fees possible for special events
One Starkville alderman says he’s interested in establishing a fee for certain special events that require additional police coverage and other in-kind services from the city, while the mayor said additional costs could create a “chilling effect” on community development.
Starkville denies access to dash cam video, reports tied to alleged pedestrian incident
Starkville board attorney Chris Latimer denied a request made by The Dispatch Wednesday for dash camera footage and incident reports stemming from an alleged pedestrian accident involving a former Starkville Police Department officer under review by the district attorney’s office.
