Rob Hardy: Origins of the obelisk

The ancient Egyptians hardly knew how influential they would be when they put up obelisks. Pyramids are, of course, more impressive, but if you build a pyramid, it is going to stay where you put it no matter what. Obelisks may weigh hundreds of tons, but they are still to some extent portable, and they have been exported, to various world capitals for various reasons.

Rob Hardy: The wonder of the exotic, inexplicably lovable elephant

Elephants are among the first exotic animals of which kids have some knowledge. Every Noah’s Ark set has a pair, and children are able to draw elephants almost as soon as they can draw any recognizable animal. We love Babar and we love Horton. But most westerners see real elephants only in zoos and circuses, where they are among the favorite attractions.

Grant to aid growth of AP courses in Columbus schools

The Columbus Municipal School District is getting more than $2.8 million over three years to improve and expand its Advanced Placement programs.

MSU students in High Cotton

STARKVILLE — One day in November, while Mississippi State University student Daniel Payne was cruising Facebook, he came across a group called Young Entrepreneurs.

He looked at the long list of members and noticed there was only one MSU student, a guy named Eric Hill.

Program frees $3M for businesses, local governments

JACKSON — The federal economic recovery program is making more than $3 million available to Lowndes County government and businesses to borrow for training workers and building new structures to help pull out of the nation’s 18-month-long recession.

Branching out: Starkville man discovers artistic side crafting bottle trees

Gregg Lewis might not look or sound like an artist, but for years he’s been creative.

After he lost his job as parts and service manager at Templeton Dodge in October, he stayed home and laid low for weeks. Then a relative asked him to craft a bottle tree for her. People loved it, and he decided to start selling them.

Is Barbour the best face for ‘new’ GOP?

JACKSON — If the Republican Party is in danger of being marginalized as a conservative, white male Southern enclave, is Haley Barbour — the longtime Washington power broker and current Mississippi governor — the best person to turn things around?

Roses and thorns 6-14-09

Columbus-Lowndes Recreation Authority and Neel-Schaffer engineer Kevin Stafford, volunteers and staff of Camp Rising Sun, The Purple Elephant, Mississippi Coffeehouse, and other Main Street businesses that beautify their facades, and Columbus Main Street Association and Lowndes County Development Link

Steve Rogers: Burns Bottom ideal location for soccer complex

Birney, in response to your column in Friday’s Dispatch, I did what you suggested. I drove through Burns Bottom Friday night. It was about 10:30 p.m., long after the early evening storms blew through. I got out and walked in the bucolic, rain-cooled night air.

Calling all fathers: Rally set for June 20

All fathers and father-figures are invited to a fatherhood rally Saturday, June 20, from 10 a.m. to noon at Columbus High School’s auditorium. Admission is free and open to the public.

Crime Report 6-14-09

A pair of Columbus teens June 9 were arrested on felony vandalism charges after police discovered the two were connected with a string of incidents in western Lowndes County.

Storm knocks out power to 1,000

More than 1,000 downtown and East Columbus residents were without power for about an hour and a half Friday night, with a few without power until Saturday morning, as crews with the Columbus Light and Water Department rushed to repair damage from lightning strikes.

Mississippi not alone in budget impasse

Mississippi is not the only state that has a legislature struggling with its governor to pass a budget so close before the deadline to act in two weeks.

Having a ball: Kids at MSU camp hone skills, have fun

STARKVILLE — “All right, you guys, everybody ready?” shouted Sarah Strickland, an assistant coach of the Mississippi State University soccer team, standing in the middle of the soccer field on the MSU campus, surrounded by hundreds of children with soccer balls. “Ready, set, go!”

Windfall sweetens budget impasse

JACKSON — Microsoft Corp.’s settlement of an antitrust lawsuit filed by the state of Mississippi will result in a payment of $40 million in about 40 days, and the House’s Democratic leaders say the windfall should lead to a breakthrough in stalled state budget talks.

Shocked by antics of Vicksburg 4

Please print this in your paper. A friend of mine sent me an article that was in your paper a few weeks ago. It so shocked me that I must write you.

Welcome

Mary Talent throws me our Commercial Dispatch each afternoon as I sit swinging in my great-grandaddy’s old white swing on the front porch. We exchange, “Hey, how’s it going, how are ya?’

Funk won’t rreturn as coach at South Lamar

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Crime report

The following incidents were reported by the Columbus Police Department:

Miss. DEQ awards grant to Lowndes Co.

The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality has awarded Lowndes County a grant of $13,161 to clean up unauthorized dump sites.

Cities and counties may apply for Solid Waste Assistance Grants through MDEQ.