Oktibbeha County supervisors keep same team

If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it.

The first Oktibbeha County Board of Supervisors meeting of 2012 saw no changes in board officer appointments, from Board President Marvell Howard retaining his seat to Nora Goliday reprising her role as justice court clerk.

Starkville residents call form-based codes confusing

With each public hearing, Starkville’s rezoning plans for downtown and corridors to Mississippi State University gain more public interest. Developers such as Jeremy Tabor have lauded the city’s efforts.

Aldermen OK funding for Greta Road paving

Greta Lane will soon get a facelift. The Starkville Board of Aldermen voted Tuesday 5-2 to pave the gravel road using a Community Development Block Grant of $98,163.88. The funding will have no tax implications on residents.

Police chief: Murder victim ‘fired at for no reason;’ suspect mistook firecrackers for gunfire (updated 4:57 p.m.)

WEST POINT — Details of the murder of Starkville High School student Devin Mitchell have emerged.

Mitchell, who was murdered early New Year’s Day, was visiting relatives at Ridgewood Apartments on East Main Street when he was shot by Tavaris F. Collins, according to police.

11-year-old girl dies in go-kart accident

A second Starkville School District student died on New Year’s Day in a go-kart accident in Athens, Ala. Laura Carson, 11, crashed into the back of an unoccupied parked vehicle at 1:15 p.m. on Mahalo Circle, south of U.S. 72, about 100 feet from the Athens city limits, according to The Decatur (Ala.) Daily News. Troopers said she was not wearing a helmet.

Partnership aiming for 2012 tech expansion

After a successful year of retail growth and high-tech job expansion, Greater Starkville Development Partnership CEO Jon Maynard has high hopes for 2012. The Partnership added 30 new members in 2011 and expects to grow its membership base, currently 400 local businesses and industries, with more restaurants and shops.

Starkville High student murdered in West Point; 31-year-old man in custody

WEST POINT — Starkville High School junior Devin Mitchell was shot and killed Sunday morning at the Ridgewood Apartments at 1311 E. Main St. in West Point.

Clay County 911 received calls at 2:55 a.m. of gunshots fired near the complex. Officers arrived and found Mitchell, 16, of Starkville, suffering from a gunshot wound. He was later transported to North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo where he died as a result of his injuries, West Point Police Chief Tim Brinkley said.

WPPD has arrested Tavaris F. Collins, 31, aka “Frog” and charged him with murder. Brinkley said a motive for the murder is still under investigation.

Departures, a new ordinance and no new city building mark the year in Oktibbeha County

The year 2011 was marked by defeats, departures, dogs and Bulldogs in Starkville and Oktibbeha County.

Oktibbeha County Sheriff Dolph Bryan was defeated in the primary runoff after 36 years in office while Starkville School District Superintendent Judy Couey shockingly resigned and still hasn’t made a public comment about the decision.

Fire damages Oktibbeha County home

OKTIBBEHA COUNTY — Oktibbeha County firefighters quickly extinguished a kitchen fire Thursday that damaged a wall but didn’t injure occupants.

Cow killed, car towed after crash

CLAY COUNTY — A mother and infant child escaped injury after their car collided with a cow Tuesday night. The cow wasn’t as fortunate.

Christmas capers, murder remain unsolved in West Point

WEST POINT — The latest in a string of Christmas gift burglaries has West Point police close to making an arrest.

Maben man charged in nightclub attack

STARKVILLE — A Maben man was arrested Dec. 25 and charged with two counts of aggravated assault after an altercation at an Oktibbeha County nightclub.

Starkville police investigate burglaries

STARKVILLE — Starkville police are searching for suspects in three vending-machine burglaries on Industrial Park Road. Between Dec. 23-26, change was stolen from vending machines at MMC Materials, MFJ Enterprises and AT&T’s work center. Two vending machines were burglarized and MMC and MFJ.

Land donated for Starkville community park

The Starkville Parks Commission recently accepted a donation of a 1.04-acre plot of land in an undeveloped section of Greenbriar subdivision on South Montgomery Street.

Incoming Oktibbeha sheriff plans regional approach to fighting drugs

Steve Gladney is still getting used to his new celebrity status. The incoming Oktibbeha County sheriff made headlines when he defeated 36-year Sheriff Dolph Bryan in the Democratic primary and later won the general election by a landslide.

Land-use proposal could affect loan stores

The Starkville Board of Aldermen had its second public hearing to repeal and replace its current chart of permitted land uses with a more streamlined one.

Downtown rezoning to get additional public hearings

Starkville’s implementation of form-based codes in downtown and university corridors will have two more rounds of public hearings.

Wiseman suggests drainage fee to help city with costs

Starkville could have a new funding mechanism for its growing number of stormwater drainage issues.

Mayor Parker Wiseman on Tuesday suggested adding a drainage fee to city utilities to help offset a million-dollar gap between expected revenues and project costs over the next 10 years.

Second Baptist Church donates bicycles to 60 area children

Sixty city and county elementary students will wake up to a two-wheeled surprise Christmas morning.

Monday, members of Second Baptist Church in Starkville delivered bicycles for third- through fifth-grade students at Henderson-Ward Stewart and East Oktibbeha elementary schools.

Board OKs plans to make downtown Starkville a national historic district

The Starkville Historic Preservation Commission is officially on board with the Starkville Central Neighborhood Foundation’s move to get downtown recognized as a national historic district.