Teacher of the Year Elizabeth Malone: It’s all worth it

Few could have predicted that the girl sitting in a New Hope High School chemistry class two decades ago would grow up to teach chemistry at her alma mater. She didn’t even like chemistry. But she was planning to go to medical school, so she struggled through it.

Tempers flare at Lowndes County school board meeting

The Lowndes County school board started the year on an eventful note during Friday morning’s monthly meeting.

A decade later: Was No Child Left Behind the answer?

The No Child Left Behind Act was hailed as a solution to the nation’s education woes when signed into law in 2002. The legislation was complex, but the desired outcome was simple: better teachers, better schools and better education, particularly for minorities and underprivileged children.

Starkville woman arrested in connection with burglaries

A woman was arrested Tuesday in connection with a rash of burglaries which have plagued the New Hope area over the past few weeks.

Columbus schools to put ‘for sale’ sign at Brandon

Finances have been the Achilles’ heel of the Columbus Municipal School District for quite some time, and the issue of money — specifically how to generate revenue — came up again during Monday night’s meeting.

USPS, residents at odds over Columbus station closure

The downtown Columbus post office has received a stay of execution for now. But a number of local organizations are trying to figure out what — if anything — can be done if a proposed closure moves from conjecture to certainty.

Saturday Profile: Diane Sturges brings quilt ministry to the Golden Triangle

Twenty years ago, in Ranch Bernardo, Calif., a 2-year-old boy lay comatose following heart surgery. Doctors had little hope for his recovery. But his grandmother and the members of her church quilting group wanted to do something to help.

MUW’s first mission: Recruitment, retention, graduation

Recruitment, retention, graduation. Get used to those three words because Mississippi University for Women’s new president, Dr. Jim Borsig, plans to use them a lot during his tenure.

Faculty, staff excited about new leadership

From the very beginning, Dr. Jim Borsig has established his intent to be an approachable, visible president who listens. He’s maintained this vision of visibility and openness since he was named president of Mississippi University for Women on Nov. 30.

Hope church buys former theater

Hope Community Church saw a dream become reality recently when it purchased the old Varsity Twin Theater in downtown Columbus after nearly a year of discussion.

Caledonia aldermen put skids on sewer rate increase; wait for state

Residents of Caledonia can breathe a sigh of relief — for now. A new sewer rate structure is in the works, but the Board of Aldermen voted unanimously Tuesday night to wait until $637,000 in state revolving funds are made available or until June 1, whichever comes first.

Rescued Macon dogs ready for adoption

It’s been a difficult month for the neglected herd of dogs and the volunteers who rescued them from a residence on Firetower Road in Macon and took them to a makeshift shelter for medical treatment and eventual adoption.

Teacher of the Year Rashean Hyde: It’s all about the children

They say good teachers are born, not made. But some teachers — sometimes the very best — take a circuitous route, trying everything and anything before settling on the one thing their hearts were called to do.

Baby New Year arrives at Baptist Memorial

Ashley Williams, 25, was standing in church Sunday morning when she felt a sharp pain. Her baby wasn’t due until Jan. 16, so she ignored the feeling until it became more insistent. Finally, she could ignore it no longer.

Kountry Kitchen moves, so do customers

There’s a strange alchemy involved when people gather at a kitchen table. Maybe it’s the symbolic — and literal — breaking of bread. Maybe it’s the commonality of primal need meeting gustatory pleasure. Maybe it’s the way no matter what changes, this remains the same: Food equals fellowship, and in an increasingly impersonal world, fellowship is the one thing that can’t be shrink-wrapped, freeze-dried or vacuum-sealed.

Local school districts struggle to keep up with a digital world

The necessity of computers in the classroom is forcing school districts into an awkward tango between needs, wants and the ever-present knowledge that no matter how fast administrators dance, they will always be one step behind.

A healthy outlook: Mental health gets a facelift with new facility

If Baptist Behavioral Health Care’s new facility doesn’t fit the image of a stereotypical mental health hospital, there’s a good reason: It was designed to be the antithesis, with every detail chosen with an eye toward aesthetics and efficiency.

Baptist hospital: Better patient satisfaction, stat!

Last November, Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle’s emergency department faced a dilemma: No matter what the staff did, patients were unhappy. Surveys ranked the ER in the 17th percentile for patient satisfaction. And despite their best efforts, scores were still plummeting.

Columbus schools’ accreditation in danger

COLUMBUS — The Columbus Municipal School District has faced its share of challenges this year, from searching for a superintendent to wrangling a budget that left even accountants befuddled.

Monday night, board members learned of a new problem: The district is at risk of losing its accreditation for failing to administer state subject area tests to special education students at Columbus High School.

Southern Baptists wait on convention for name change

Thomas Southerland, 68, was raised a Southern Baptist.

He was steeped in a 166-year-old tradition of conservative, strict biblical beliefs. He serves as the business administrator for First Baptist Church in downtown Columbus.