Articles by Emma McRae
Contract dispute could cost city PIO her job
Ongoing communication disputes and shifting job responsibilities put Shawanda Jones, the city’s public information officer, at odds with senior leadership in the administration.
Insider or outsider? MUW stakeholders split, but one name emerges: Sally Burchfield-Doty
The Institutions of Higher Learning board has yet to advertise for a new president for the Mississippi University for Women, but one name is already being floated publicly.
City approves sale of surplus Southside lots
A few houses down from the one he grew up in on Fifth Avenue South, Jerome Stephenson remembers playing basketball on a court at a nearby property.
The day the last shuttle dropped in on Columbus
Columbus Air Force Base only had two hours notice before the space shuttle Atlantis, mounted atop a modified Boeing 747, landed on its runway.
State funds MUW historic renovation, MSMS upgrades
Just before the 2026 Legislative session ended last week, lawmakers passed a $253 million bill to fund local projects throughout the state, including roughly $54 million designated for special projects in the Golden Triangle.
Man charged in Railroad Street stabbing
Police have arrested a man accused of stabbing a victim multiple times on Friday during a fight.
West Lowndes group raises more than $14K for students
About nine months ago, members of the West Lowndes community gathered together and asked themselves: Who are we? What is our purpose?
Area schools concerned about new accountability standards
Changes made to Mississippi’s public school accountability model will reset how districts are graded this year, raising the bar for schools to earn higher ratings.
Donations sought for unpaid TSA agents at GTRA
As Transportation Security Administration workers prepare for another week of working for no pay, Golden Triangle Regional Airport’s doors are opening to receive donations from community members looking to support their local agents.
Lowndes OKs tax on short-term rentals
With the board of supervisors approval of a short-term rental ordinance on Tuesday, visitors staying at a short-term rental in the county are set to pay a little extra.
Supreme Court upholds conviction of man who killed his girlfriend in her sleep
The Mississippi Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the first-degree murder conviction of a Lowndes County man found guilty of killing his girlfriend as she slept.
‘Make a difference’ this weekend one block at a time
From neighborhood streets to major corridors, community members on Saturday will be combing the streets of Columbus in hopes of making a visible difference, one block at a time.
Inside MSU’s Imaginarium, students learn by doing…and failing
Just inside the front door of the Imaginarium at Mississippi State University, a group of fourth-graders from Henderson Ward Stewart Elementary race LEGO cars down a ramp, chanting for their design to cross the finish line first.
Unclaimed dogs terrorize Crawford cattle herds
By the time farmer Bud Holtcamp hears the barking during his pre-dawn chores, it’s already too late.
Divided council taps external candidate for fire chief
Following a nearly 90-minute executive session Friday characterized by raised voices and one councilman storming out of the meeting, the city council voted 3-2 to
Bartenders to battle for best cocktail in Starkville
The spirits are set, and the competition is on.
Glo plans new headquarters after outgrowing the Rex
When Glo Companies moved into the old Rex Theatre at 101 W. Main St. in 2021, CEO and co-founder Hagan Walker remembers wondering how the company would ever fill the entire space.
State’s top spellers return to Columbus next week
Five years after the statewide spelling bee nearly disappeared, the competition continues to thrive.
Community Profile: Hands-on learning, lasting impact
In the kitchen at Lowndes County School District County Career Technology Center, culinary arts instructor Victoria Richardson moves between workstations, easily answering students’ questions about everything from cooking techniques to plate presentations.
Skeletal remains identified as missing Columbus man
Officials are trying to determine a cause of death after the skeletal remains of a man were identified as those of a Columbus man who had gone missing.
