School seeks military veterans to participate in ceremony

Wednesday, Lee Middle School will host a Veterans Day program to honor all past and present military veterans.

All veterans are invited to attend the event, Wednesday at 9 a.m. Those wishing to attend the program are asked to RSVP with the school.

Students rushed to hospital after reaction to H1N1 vaccine

Students at Caledonia High School were taken to the hospital today after having what a health department official described as “sympathy reactions” to the swine flu vaccine, being offered at area schools.

Anne Freeze: Friends, food and music

As I emptied my satchel Monday, I wondered how many of my friends attend symposiums (such an educated word) and return with: homemade peppered jerky, individually-packaged cookies from famed Momofuku Restaurant in New York City, a blueberry muffin-shaped kitchen timer, Martha White blueberry muffin mix, harmonicas from the National Peanut Board and the remains of a dark chocolate, grilled jalapeno and salty peanut candy bar? (I could eat another one right now if I had one).

Donated land to be used for Plum grove softball field

Recreation is on the way for southern Lowndes County.

The Columbus-Lowndes Recreation Authority voted Monday to accept a donation of land for a new softball field on Minnie Vaughn Road West in the Plum Grove community.

Starkville students to get H1N1 vaccines

Starkville school officials on Tuesday gave their consent to a state Health Department program to vaccinate the district’s school children against the H1N1 virus.

Sanford helps Mississippi College make tournament

For the second year in a row, the Mississippi College women’s soccer team has earned a berth in the American Southwest Conference tournament.

Sophomore Elizabeth Sanford has played a key role in helping the Lady Choctaws accomplish that feat.

Sanford, a 2008 graduate of Starkville High School, has contributed at midfielder and helped Mississippi College make it to the tournament at Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, Texas.

Cooke, Hemphill in runoff for Justice Court seat

The race for Lowndes County District 1 Justice Court Judge will

continue as candidates Ron C. Cooke and Chris Hemphill move on to a

Nov. 24 runoff election.

Sir, send me

I’ve heard about your offer of big bucks to all the Taliban terrorist who will switch and join our side in the fight for liberty in Afghanistan. Well I’m not a terrorist but I do want to join the fight and I’ll not ask for a bonus of big bucks to join up. I’m retired from the U.S. Air Force and I proudly volunteer to serve for one year in Afghanistan, back home for six months then another year in either Iraq or Afghanistan.

Free retrofit improves school bus emissions

Twelve school buses in Starkville are easier on the environment after a Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality retrofit is helping to their reduce tailpipe emissions.

Work on new health department to begin before new year

Officials expect to break ground on construction of a new Lowndes County Health Department facility this year.

The Lowndes County Board of Supervisors Monday voted to award a construction bid for the new facility to Burks Mordecai Builders Inc., in Columbus, the low bidder on the project.

County schools to get free H1N1 vaccines

Oktibbeha County school officials set events in motion Monday night to bring free H1N1 vaccines to district students.

They also approved a job description to create four new part-time learning strategist positions, and approved a $5 per student activity fee for participation in an elementary art club.

Proffitt named Dispatch advertising director

Beth Proffitt has been named The Dispatch’s new advertising director, in charge of serving both local and national clients.

Armed, costumed robbers hit Columbus homes

A trio of men treated themselves to a man’s wallet Saturday when they robbed a contracted painter at gunpoint while he was working in an unoccupied house.

Change The W’s residency standard

When it comes to the student recruitment game, Mississippi University for Women is too often forced to play with one hand behind its back — some reasons obvious, some not so.

Roses and thorns 11-1-09

Columbus Convention and Visitors Bureau; Mississippi University for Women nursing department;and vandals who have damaged or stolen more than $750 in autumn decorations in downtown Columbus

Whitehead named 2009 Humanities Teacher of the Year

Dr. Kim Whitehead, professor of English and religious studies at Mississippi University for Women, has been named the 2009 Humanities Teacher of the Year by the Mississippi Humanities Council.

Columbus Fire and Rescue conducts smoke detector battery exchange

Columbus Fire and Rescue has joined forces with Energizer and the International Association of Fire Chiefs for the 22nd year of the Change Your Clock Change Your Battery campaign.

Justice Court race to be decided Tuesday

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday for the special election to fill the District 1 Justice Court judge’s seat left empty when Phillip Robertson died in November 2008.

Convicted murderer sentenced to death

After hours of deliberation, an Oktibbeha County jury has decided to put Bobby Batiste,29, to death for the 2008 murder of his roommate.

Batiste found guilty of capital murder

After what 16th Circuit Judge Jim Kitchens called “a long week,” an Oktibbeha County jury has found former Mississippi State University student Bobby Batiste guilty of capital murder in the apparent beating death of his former housemate.