Ceremony to be held for nature trails at Plymouth Bluff Center

A special recognition program will be held Wednesday at 10 a.m. to mark the completion of a two-year project to improve the 3.5-mile natural trail system at the Plymouth Bluff Center.

No deaths in CAFB plane crash, but a near-miss for a neighbor

MANTEE – A T-6 Texan II primary trainer costs $4.27 million. But to Col. Roger Watkins, a student pilot’s life is far more valuable.

Leroy Brooks

Just how much and for how long are we (Lowndes County residents) going to have to endure the rantings of this idiot? This “gentleman” is an elected official, yet his rants remind me of a spoiled 5-year-old that still wants a bottle.

Spineless

What is spineless? Spineless could be a little man working at a shrinking newspaper who writes articles about what he thinks happened at a place he was not present. Of what people said that he was not there to hear. About the feelings he felt at a function he did not attend.

GTRA head named to airports board

Golden Triangle Regional Airport Executive Director Mike Hainsey is among state airport officials recently elected to the Mississippi Airports Association new board of directors and officers for 2009-2010.

Scammers target social sites, AG warns

State and local officials are warning area residents of a new scam tactic aimed at users of social networking Web sites.

CAFB plane crashes in Webster Co.

An aircraft containing one student pilot from Columbus Air Force Base crashed in Webster County near Mantee, west of West Point, Thursday evening, but the pilot parachuted safely, officials said.

Red Cross in the red, other non-profits struggle too

After Becky Thomas broke the news last month, the words may have been forgotten, but the impact drags on.

Aldermen to meet with dept. heads

STARKVILLE — The city of Starkville’s budget committee, which is made up of Mayor Parker Wiseman and the seven-member Board of Aldermen, has scheduled meetings with the city’s department heads over the next two weeks to work out details of the 2009-2010 fiscal year budget.

CAFB included in military construction, veterans care bill

Columbus Air Force Base is one of four state military installations soon to get funding support if the full Senate approves pending legislation, U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran’s office announced Tuesday.

United Way catfish fry fundraiser set for Friday behind Leigh Mall

The J.C. Penney at Leigh Mall will host a catfish fry Friday to raise money for United Way of Lowndes County.

The event will take place at the store’s back receiving doors from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Area schools to support vets with new GI Bill

Veterans who have served since Sept. 11, 2001, will be eligible for financial support at three Golden Triangle colleges.

Arrest Report 7-9-09

The following people were arrested on felony charges, according to reports released from the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office:

Navistar terminating 275 employees; 200 to remain at plant

Navistar’s recent failure to win a $1.06 billion Pentagon contract, which went to Oshkosh Corp., to build blast-resistant vehicles brings layoffs to the West Point Navistar plant.

Wiseman vetoes former board’s Park Commission decision

STARKVILLE — Starkville Mayor Parker Wiseman on Wednesday issued a veto of a controversial move made last week by the outgoing Board of Aldermen.

SBA disaster loan deadline nears

The Small Business Administration reminds small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives and most private, non-profit organizations of all sizes that July 27 is the filing deadline for federal economic injury disaster loans available in Mississippi. The SBA declared a disaster because of damages and losses to crops due to wind and rainfall associated with Hurricanes Gustav and Ike from Aug. 28 to Sept. 18, 2008. These loans are available in Noxubee and Oktibbeha counties.

One step forward, two steps back

If you’re planning to watch the broadcast of the Lowndes County Supervisors’ Tuesday meeting, let us warn you; it’s not a pretty sight. In a production that more resembles a badly acted high school drama than a meeting of elected officials, Harry Sanders plays the role of a school-yard bully; a wronged Leroy Brooks becomes the class loudmouth; Frank Ferguson and John Holliman are spineless turncoats and Jeff Smith is the well-meaning but unsuccessful peacemaker.

Columbus Crush bids for third softball championship

The Columbus Crush will attempt to make it three in a row this weekend when it plays in the Mississippi Amateur Softball Association 10-and-under slow-pitch state tournament.

The Crush will bid for the title Saturday in Meridian after winning the State Games of Mississippi on June 20 in Meridian and the USSSA state tournament in Philadelphia this past Saturday.

Columbus is undefeated in seven games after beating the Grenada Lady Slammers in the championship games of the State Games and the USSSA state tournament.

New Caledonia board, mayor meet for first time since election

CALEDONIA — Mayor George Gerhart was back at the head of the table in Caledonia Town Hall Tuesday night.

It was his first meeting with the new Board of Aldermen since the mayoral and aldermen’s election, which took place in the same building June 2.

July Fourth stabbing still under investigation

COLUMBUS — Marvin Lee Richards, 29, is suspected to have stabbed Michael Swanigan, 41, on the night of the Fourth of July, police said.

Both the victim and the suspect were still in Baptist Memorial Hospital–Golden Triangle Tuesday; the victim was in critical care, and the suspect was getting surgery on his foot, said Columbus Police Department Capt. Fred Shelton.