Columbus High to have new principal next school year

Columbus High School will have a new principal next school year. Principal Craig Shannon will return to the central office full time as deputy superintendent at the end of the school year, Columbus Municipal School District announced Thursday.

Rough-draft redistricting plan riles Lowndes board member

Lowndes County supervisors had their first redistricting meeting Monday, and one board member already is threatening litigation.

CMS Cindy Wamble named Administrator of the Year

From packing up and moving to a new building to adding 320 students to her charge, it’s been a whirlwind school year for Cindy Wamble.

Supervisors to appoint temporary judge

Lowndes County supervisors Monday will discuss appointing a judge in place of District 2 Justice Court Judge Mike Arledge, who resigned to run for county sheriff.

Tourism’s Empty Room: Snag over payment keeping Columbus visitors bureau out of new office

Columbus Convention and Visitors Bureau employees are working out of boxes. The three full-time and three part-time workers had already packed, ready to move into their new offices weeks ago, when plans hit a snag.

The city and county boards that govern the CVB are seeking a state attorney general’s opinion on whether or not they, legally, can approve the $734,881 price tag, since it is more than $100,000 higher than the appraised value.

Ice cream, too? Weyerhaeuser plant’s cellulose fibers found in dizzying array of products

Tree pulp isn’t just for paper, and the tree fiber produced at Weyerhaeuser’s Columbus Cellulose Fibers plant can be found in some surprising places.

Signs of success: Caledonia, West Lowndes elementary lauded for test scores

When it comes to math, West Lowndes and Caledonia elementary schools have the right formula. The two Lowndes County schools are being recognized by Mississippi State University’s Program of Research and Evaluation for Public Schools with Value Added Awards, for their performance on state tests in the area of math.

Lowndes County faces redistricting crunch

Lowndes is among several counties across the state that has to redraw its district lines after the release of 2010 census figures.

Lowndes Supes, Columbus Council stay out of Omnova strike

Lowndes supervisors and Columbus City Council members this week declined to officially intervene in the strike at Omnova Solutions, turning down a request from the company’s union to send letters asking that bargaining over a union contract resume.

Open houses, lottery set for Columbus schools

Columbus Municipal School District began taking applications for the 2011-2012 school year Monday, and parents have until March 28 to enter their children in the lottery for one of the district’s five elementary schools.

Take it off: Lowndes man loses 114 pounds and is named ‘2010 TOPS Mississippi King’

Willis Logan weighed 12 1/2 pounds at birth. He had always been big and, at one point, tipped the scales at more than 400 pounds.

Schools push to help seniors pass subject tests

Local schools are making a final push to help seniors who have failed one or more state tests stay on track to graduate in May.

A costly lesson: Woman warns students of drinking and driving’s dangers

The roomful of Caledonia High School juniors and seniors fell silent, as pictures flashed across the screen. A crumpled, upside-down car. A torn guard rail. A girl lying in a hospital bed, unconscious with numerous wound dressings. It was 2003, and Sarah Panzau was lucky to be alive.

Hunt graduates rally to preserve shuttered school

Hunt Intermediate is the last of a dying breed of black neighborhood schools in Columbus, according to community members and alumni. And they are rallying around the school to preserve it.

Light and Water Dept. studying effect of wastewater

The Columbus Light and Water board Thursday agreed to invest up to $112,000 over the next 12 months to study the impact of water from the local treatment plant deposited into the Tombigbee River.

Learning exchange: Foreign students, host families learn life lessons

On a recent shopping trip, 15-year-old Yu “Crystal” Chem looked through clothes at Leigh Mall in Columbus. She got a chuckle out of seeing “made in China” on the labels.

Columbus High senior, bound for West Point, continues family legacy

Ian Williams’ father graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1980. Ian’s grandfather graduated from West Point in 1946. One might assume Ian is following in their footsteps, but his father says he’s creating his own.

Recovery House works to treat women with addiction

When a group of women living at the Recovery House visited the Greater Columbus Learning Center, volunteer George Courington was surprised by the socioeconomic diversity of the group.

Columbus’ Sale Elementary named IB school

Columbus Municipal School District is one step closer to joining only 10 other school systems in the country to offer the full range of International Baccalaureate programs.

Good eats: New school nutrition mandates cut calories and increase cost

Child nutrition recommendations slated to go into effect by school year 2012-13 include offering fresh fruits and vegetables daily and increasing their portion sizes. Schools will have to cut fat, calories and salt and abandon deep-fat fryers in favor of grilling, steaming and baking.