City schools handle lunch payments, college credit

STARKVILLE — Starkville school officials on Tuesday changed the way high school students can pay for lunch and get dual credit for classes, and handled a long list of personnel issues before school starts Thursday.

Starkville Academy pitcher Haynes baffles Central Academy

STARKVILLE –– Starkville Academy’s Lyndsey Haynes mixed her pitches to mix up the Central Academy Lady Vikings at the plate.

Haynes scattered four hits Tuesday afternoon to lead Starkville Academy to a 9-1 victory at home.

“I didn’t throw one pitch in the same place the whole time,” said Haynes, who allowed three bunt singles. “If I threw outside and she’d foul it off, I’d go inside and high. Every pitch changed completely. It messed them up. The game (against Kemper Academy on Monday) I threw too much in the same place and I messed up and they would hit it.”

Rob Hardy: Khrushchev and his strange U.S. tour

The Cold War is over; we won it and we have forgotten about it, because we have hotter things to worry about. Young people now, and those in the future, will watch, say, “Doctor Strangelove,” and be astonished that the world could have organized itself in such a way. If you really want to get in touch with how weird the Cold War years were, a wonderful introduction is “K Blows Top: A Cold War Comic Interlude, Starring Nikita Khrushchev, America’s Most Unlikely Tourist” (PublicAffairs) by Peter Carlson.

Oktibbeha County school board reviews budget

STARKVILLE — Oktibbeha County residents got a first look Monday night at the proposed $11.6 million budget the county school district may be operating with this year.

School board handles policy, routine business

STARKVILLE — The board of the Oktibbeha County School District handled a variety of business matters Monday night that included approving handbooks and a new policy, and approving a propane gas vendor for the year.

Oktibbeha museum seeks to celebrate area’s World War II heritage

STARKVILLE — Leaders of the Oktibbeha County Heritage Museum plan to hold a celebration of the area’s aviation history and contributions to World War II.

Tackling healthcare

Missing from the debate are the American people, who need to educate themselves and join the discussion

Pacesetters out front for United Way

As the Lowndes County chapter of the United Way gears up for its annual fundraising campaign, the umbrella organization has put its top earners at the tip of the spear.

Clean-up campaign begins

STARKVILLE — This month, the Greater Starkville Development Partnership wants each city dweller to beautify his or her corner of the world.

Starkville’s Shelly Kelly finds volunteer work lifts her own spirit

STARKVILLE — Every other Tuesday at about 8:30 a.m., Shelly Kelly, 36, drives to Montgomery Gardens, the assisted living residence on Old Highway 12, and gives about 15 residents manicures. Sometimes residents invite her to stay for lunch. She refuses to take compensation for her services other than hugs and kisses. Residents tell her they love her.

Former MSU pitchers reunited

SAN FRANCISCO — Former Mississippi State pitcher Brandon Medders of the San Francisco Giants enjoys it when an opposing team has a player from his alma mater and he gets a chance to reminisce about old times.

Medders was afforded such an opportunity this past week when the Giants played host to the Pittsburgh Pirates at AT&T Park.

Roses and thorns 8-2-09

Teachers throughout the Golden Triangle, United Way Pacesetters, Kabir Karriem, Charlie Box and Bill Gavin, Starkville Rotary Club

Baseball memories

When I was about nine or 10, my uncle Duff Pilkinton, who was a dispatcher on the Columbus and Greenville Railroad, would pick me up at my grandmother’s in Artesia and take me into Columbus.

Appreciates local columnists

What happened to Rob Hardy’s book review column? I always enjoyed his very informative and well-written columns. I especially loved the fact that he donated each book to the public library so we could easily find the books he mentioned. I now have to read him on-line. You would do us a greater service by putting him in print again.

Suspicious characters and litter

A Ward 5 meeting was held last week. All the seats were taken and several people standing. Our police chief and several other police officers were there to give talks and answer questions about crime in Columbus. The briefings were a little long for those who had to stand but were informative and worth the time and effort. Many questions were answered and good advice given on some uncertainties about crime in our city. Everyone was given a chance to ask questions.

Jay Lacklen: Where the Air Force lives

I’ve always wondered where the real Air Force lives.

City schools to protect students from swine flu

Columbus public schools will continue to take steps to keep the H1N1 virus, better known as swine flu, away from students.

Carol Littlejohn: Fire truck

Last Thursday I was so excited that I almost could not work! It was one of my “deposit” days at the junkyard and I can only hope that I got it right – in this day and age we need every dollar to count. Well, anyway, like I said, I was so excited because I was going to get to take my grandson, Coleman, to the uptown fire station to see the firemen and their fire trucks. My other half, Mike, had arranged with Ken Moore, the Fire Chief, to let us give Cole a first-hand look at one of the finer things about Columbus. We had to be there at 6:30 in the afternoon – I did not want to interfere with the firemen’s supper hour.

Running on empty? White House reviewing ‘cash for clunkers’ program

A lawmaker says he’s been assured by Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood that the financially strapped “cash for clunkers” program will be good at least through today.

Pit bull hearing marked by tension

Minutes before the hearing began at Columbus’ municipal complex Wednesday, placards lay littered by garbage cans, since they were not allowed in court.