Mississippi Governor’s school comes to an end

Imagine the Columbus riverfront with niche boutiques, restaurants and major big-box retailers. Imagine loft apartments and other housing. Imagine a year-round carnival and a boardwalk area where families can shop, live and play.

EMCC tuition guarantee may end in Lowndes

Enrollment is rising at East Mississippi Community College, and so is tuition. What’s not rising is the amount of money in the school’s tuition guarantee fund.

Buggin’ out: Lowndes County gears up for mosquito season

Summer arrived Tuesday, meaning it won’t be long before the season’s peskiest denizens — mosquitoes — make their appearance as well. It’s an annual battle that’s already bugging the Caledonia aldermen; they started discussing the issue several weeks ago.

Power outages affect businesses along Columbus’ busiest street

Crews with Columbus Light and Water spent most of Tuesday and this morning coping with three separate power issues that left traffic snarled, the Walmart and Kroger parking lots empty and customers in the dark.

Saying goodbye: Fallen soldier laid to rest in Columbus

Hundreds of people lined the streets to honor the passing of U.S. Army Sgt. Christopher Roger Bell, who was laid to rest this afternoon at Living Faith Tabernacle Cemetery in Columbus. Bell, 21, was a native of Golden. He, along with three other soldiers, died in eastern Afghanistan June 4 in a roadside explosion.

Youth Summit: Your whole life’s ahead of you

As images flashed across the screen, teenagers in the Columbus Middle School auditorium fell silent.

In one picture, William Stallings relaxed at home. In the video that followed, friends and family discussed his death. The 19-year-old was found shot in the head on May 20.

Patriot Guard to attend soldier’s funeral

American flags waved against a backdrop of storm clouds. The men and women flanking the doors of Memorial Funeral Home on Second Avenue North in Columbus stood at attention and did not flinch, not when the rain began falling, not even when lightning criss-crossed the sky and made contact close enough to hear the crackle of electricity.

Caledonia votes to make water system improvements

CALEDONIA — The Caledonia Board of Aldermen continued making improvements to the town’s water system Tuesday night, voting in a special meeting to accept the lowest quote for water pipe extensions on Seed Tick and Stanley Roads. The work will be performed by Knight Labor at a cost of $14,217.

Juneteenth celebration set for this weekend

Columbus is gearing up this week for the 16th annual Juneteenth celebration, which will be held Thursday, Friday and Saturday at Sim Scott Park.

Extended school calendar program stopped due to lack of funding

The doors closed Tuesday on the school year, as well as a pilot program that extended the school calendar at Stokes-Beard Technology and Communication and Sale International Studies elementary schools.

Columbus schools to make IB the curriculum standard

The Columbus Municipal School District will soon be one step closer to offering the rigorous International Baccalaureate curriculum for students in all grades. Columbus Middle School principal Cindy Wamble updated CMSD board members at last night’s meeting, telling them that this summer, 120 sixth- through 10th-grade teachers will undergo the second phase of training for the IB Middle Years program.

Hoping for rain: Crops struggling amid dry spell

Every day, local farmer Scott Enlow walks outside, looks at the sky and hopes to see a hint of gray. Some nights, he thinks he hears distant thunder, and he leaps from his bed to go outside and welcome the blessed rainfall that will nourish his crops. The rain never comes.

Former Columbus schools superintendent will watch from afar, as seeds he planted take root in Columbus

Dr. Del Phillips appeared relaxed Tuesday afternoon as he intermittently packed boxes, signed papers, and fielded the plethora of phone calls involved in changing jobs, changing towns, moving out, moving on.

Caledonia Day expands to two-day festival

The Caledonia Days festival will look a little different this year, but the primary focus will remain the same, organizer Jackie Savage told the Caledonia Board of Aldermen during last night’s meeting.

Southside neighborhood could be added to Columbus historic district

A walk through the Southside neighborhood in Columbus yields an architectural mélange, from massive antebellum mansions to quaint Victorian houses to World War II-era bungalows. Together, they may soon become the city’s first residential historic district registered with the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Southside neighborhood could be added to Columbus historic district

A walk through the Southside neighborhood in Columbus yields an architectural mélange, from massive antebellum mansions to quaint Victorian houses to World War II-era bungalows. Together, they may soon become the city’s first residential historic district registered with the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Crime Report: Columbus man arrested on drug charges at club

Here’s a look at weekend arrests, including the arrest of a Columbus man early Saturday morning at the Grey Goose nightclub for possession of a small amount of crack cocaine and marijuana.

Alleged drunk driver claims he tossed drugs, guns during Columbus police chase

An alleged drunk driver led police on a chase through downtown Columbus Sunday night, hitting several vehicles before crashing into a fence at Mississippi University for Women.

Scout’s honor: Boy Scouts offer many opportunities and activities while building future leaders

They are CEOs, astronauts, politicians and engineers. They are neighbors, husbands, fathers and sons. Neil Armstrong was one. So was Gerald Ford, Donald Rumsfeld, Sam Walton, Steven Spielberg and Paul Theroux. Ordinary men living extraordinary lives. Extraordinary character forged in ordinary ways.

Scout’s honor: Boy Scouts offer many opportunities and activities while building future leaders

They are CEOs, astronauts, politicians and engineers. They are neighbors, husbands, fathers and sons. Neil Armstrong was one. So was Gerald Ford, Donald Rumsfeld, Sam Walton, Steven Spielberg and Paul Theroux. Ordinary men living extraordinary lives. Extraordinary character forged in ordinary ways.