Weekend lane closure planned for Highway 82

JACKSON — The Mississippi Department of Transportation would like to notify motorists of anticipated lane closures over the coming Memorial Day weekend for District One in northeast Mississippi. The eastbound lane of U.S. Highway 82 between U.S. Highway 45 Alternate and U.S. Highway 45 in Lowndes County will be closed during the holiday weekend.

Communitywide blood drive Tuesday

United Blood Services, United Way of Lowndes County, WCBI, Columbus Main Street, the city of Columbus and WLZA 96.1 Tuesday are hosting a communitywide blood drive.

Antebellum homes offer a chance to own a piece of history

Several of Columbus’ Civil War era homes are on the market — awaiting someone willing to invest the time, energy and appreciation for history it takes to keep these nearly 200-year-old homes fresh and vital.

Hospitals balk at plan for tax hike

JACKSON — Hospitals can absorb a $45 million tax increase to help fund the deficit-plagued Medicaid program, but the higher rate the governor is pushing for would hit them too hard, said the president of the Mississippi Hospital Association.

Case closed (we hope): CPD’s handling of Vicksburg episode less than professional

With the punishment of four Columbus police officers Tuesday for their juvenile behavior May 5 at Vicksburg National Military Park, and an apology from the Columbus Police Department, we are hoping all parties can move on.

MPSA honors Starkville Academy’s McKenzie

Johnathan McKenzie received more than a diploma Friday when he graduated from Starkville Academy.

In a special presentation at graduation, McKenzie was honored with the Don Souder Award for being the outstanding male student-athlete in the Mississippi Private School Association.

Absentee ballots ready for June 2 election

Columbus voters casting absentee ballots for the June 2 municipal general election now may vote or pick up ballots at the city’s registrar office.

Area Arrests

The Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office reported the following felony arrests:

Model school: West Lowndes ‘builds on success’

West Lowndes Elementary School at a Wednesday assembly celebrated being named a Renaissance Reading Model School.

Renaissance Learning Inc. of Madison, Wis.., the company responsible for the Accelerated Reader program, May 7 announced WLES received national recognition for achieving the status of Reading Model School.

Harvey’s, Grill, Peppers to honor local heroes with free food Monday

For the seventh year, the Eat With Us Group and Sweet Peppers Franchise Systems, LLC, announce that 24 of their restaurants will honor area firefighters, police officers, armed services personnel and veterans in uniform with a complimentary entrée on Memorial Day. Participating restaurants include Bulldog Deli, The Cotton District Grill, The Jackson Square Grill, Fairpark Grill, Harvey’s and all company- and franchise-owned Sweet Peppers Delis.

Legislature still at loggerheads over budget

JACKSON — House-Senate budget negotiators continue to haggle over how much to tax hospitals and reduce spending as they try to reach a deal for the state Legislature to approve next week.

Rob Hardy: History’s millenial worries

It wasn’t so long ago that we were all fascinated with the change of millennium, jumping into the two thousands of years. There were worries: Everyone with a computer remembers that shortcuts by 20th-century programmers were supposed to mean computers would crash when they unexpectedly came across years with a first digit of two rather than of one. It’s interesting that our worries with the big date change were technological. They didn’t come to pass.

Anne Freeze: Eggsellent food for thought

What do you get when you cross 750 hard-boiled eggs with five Episcopalian women? (Drum roll, please.) You get 1,300 deviled eggs!

A religion unto itself

Man yea, those boys came back relaxed, refreshed, and alert. Fourteen days without pay is enough punishment. That old field will grow back. Maybe they can invite that state park ranger up here to drive through one of our fields.

Gangs in Columbus

Since the beginning of the 1990’s, gang culture has been a way of life for so many young people in Columbus.

Gang members in Columbus have been involved with a number of shootings in this city, as well as in West Point and Starkville.

Murder trial delayed

A Columbus man charged with capital murder in the 2008 shooting death of another Lowndes County man will face trial in the next Lowndes County session of 16th Circuit Court, in August. His trial — set to begin today — has been continued.

Runoff brings big changes to West Point board

WEST POINT — A nearly 20-year board veteran will no longer be a member of the West Point Board of Selectmen after Tuesday’s primary runoff. The entire governing body soon will look very different; for the first time in decades, no one on the board will have served more than one term.

Court upholds life term for bad check

JACKSON — The Mississippi Court of Appeals has upheld the life-without-parole sentence imposed in Oktibbeha County on a habitual criminal convicted of buying $106 worth of liquor with a bad check.

Thanks to letter carriers

On Saturday, May 9, the National Association of Letter Carriers and United Way of Lowndes County partnered to conduct our 17th Annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive to help stock shelves at local food pantries and shelters.

CPD gets grant for hazard detection equipment

Mississippi’s Office of Homeland Security has awarded an $80,000 grant to the Columbus Police Department for the purchase of hazard detection equipment and training for designated personnel.

The grant was presented on behalf of the Mississippi Department of Public Safety.