Church choirs to raise money for non-profit

STARKVILLE — There’s something for everyone this weekend in Starkville with sports, arts, food and music, and those who want to give back to the community have a chance to combine some of these activities into one event.

Area Arrests 4-17-09

Two people accused of stealing a man’s credit card information while he was eating at a local restaurant are behind bars.

March 31 at 11:02 a.m. Douglas Washington reported to police he lost his credit card at Ryan’s Restaurant, located just off Highway 45 North in Columbus, according to reports from the Columbus Police Department.

State’s $2.8B has tight strings attached

JACKSON – The $2.8 billion Mississippi is getting in federal stimulus funds comes with strict public accounting and transparency mandates.

West Alabama baseball teams gearing up for playoffs

The South Lamar High School baseball team hasn’t lost to a team in its classification this season.

South Lamar will attempt to keep that trend going Friday when it begins play in the Alabama High School Athletic Association Class A playoffs.

Lowndes included in Miss. Hills Heritage Area

A 30-county region in North Mississippi, which includes Lowndes County, has been designated as a national heritage area.

County Tax assessor’s wife resigns

Alicia Andrews, wife of Lowndes County Tax Collector and Assessor Greg Andrews, resigned last week in what may be a move tied to a Mississippi Ethics Commission nepotism complaint brought in February against Greg Andrews.

EMCC salutes industry at annual luncheon

East Mississippi Community College representatives were joined by politicians, educators and community leaders at the college’s Golden Triangle campus Wednesday afternoon to send out thanks to local industry.

Column brought back fond memories

Dear Birney,

As I do every Sunday, I look for your article. You didn’t disappoint this week (Tupelo honey at the Silver Spur). I felt I should respond.

Baucom helps revive Central Arkansas

Rachel Baucom is accustomed to winning when it comes to playing softball.

She played on six state championship teams at New Hope High School and back-to-back state championship teams at Wallace State Community College in Hanceville, Ala.

Baucom isn’t on a team that good this season, but she’s helping revive the softball program at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway, Ark.

125 years and counting: MUW hosts Homecoming ’09

As Mississippi University for Women continues to celebrate its 125th anniversary, the university will welcome alumni to campus this weekend with many special events planned for Homecoming.

DePriest faces tax troubles, lawsuits

Don DePriest, the Tennessee Valley Authority board member from Columbus who resigned abruptly last week, owes more than $1.1 million in back taxes and faces lawsuits in a Lowndes County court for allegedly reneging on the repayment of millions of dollars in loans and misleading investors in his telecommunications companies.

As lawmakers squabble, car-tag fees poised to rise

JACKSON — State legislators are trying to take steps to ensure car-tag prices don’t increase like what’s being feared.

Summer vacation already too short

In 1963, I took my first trip to the north side of town, to R.E. Hunt High School. Of course, I was only in junior high, but it was a big deal. That summer, we went to visit folks in the country, picked plums, chased cattle, rode horses, and sometimes, we just got up at 5:30 just to see the sun rise, and the critters crawling. In those days, the summer seemed to be a whole year long.

First letter

I was born, grew up, and educated through high school in Columbus. From the time I was old enough to read, I read The Commercial Dispatch and its comics. Since returning to Columbus after retiring in 1985, I have been a regular subscriber to the same newspaper. I don’t believe that I have ever before written a “Letter to the Editor.” Now, though, I have a complaint.

Crime report

Shots rang out in the Friendly City Easter Sunday.

Pilgrimage organizers ‘thrilled’ with attendance

Between 6,000 and 7,000 people from all over the world attended the 69th annual Columbus Pilgrimage.

First Baptist gets construction OK

The Columbus Planning Commission Monday approved plans presented by First Baptist Church of Columbus to continue construction of a new church on Bluecutt Road.

Legislature’s tax measures a mixed bag

JACKSON — People toiling to have their income-tax returns done by Wednesday’s deadline can look ahead to a variety of changes the state Legislature recently made for Mississippi’s tax structure.

Refund? What refund?

Most people say they plan to use this year’s tax refund to pay bills, deciding in this sour economy to be more frugal with their annual windfall.

A victim of political correctness

Well, so much for Reneau and Waverley as names for Mississippi University for Women. In the case of Reneau, it’s a shame. We’re not sure how Waverley, the name of a Sir Walter Scott novel and, subsequently, the Clay County antebellum mansion, made the cut other than it begins with a “W,” a pet name some want to preserve.