75 tons of asphalt used to patch Leigh Mall parking lot

The new owner of Leigh Mall has already begun improvements at the property, most recently filling in major potholes in the parking lot.

CMSD pays $370K in TIPP bonuses to teachers, staff

Columbus Municipal School District has paid teachers and staff more than $370,000 in incentives in the first year of the Teacher Incentive Pay Plan.

MUW student poll reopens discussion on potential name change

When Rahel Stanford was a high school senior looking at colleges, she was surprised to learn Mississippi University for Women was a coed school.

Hickman lawsuit against CMSD dismissed

A federal judge has dismissed without prejudice a lawsuit against Columbus Municipal School District filed by former Superintendent Philip Hickman.

MHP responds to nearly 20 weather-related accidents in Golden Triangle

Troopers with Mississippi Highway Patrol responded to nearly 20 weather-related accidents in the Golden Triangle as of press time this morning, though none of them had serious injuries.

CPD officer arrested for burglary, domestic violence

A Columbus police officer is on administrative leave after he was arrested Sunday night for residential burglary and misdemeanor domestic violence.

CPD statistics show decrease in crime over five years

Crime statistics released by Columbus Police Department show a general downward trend in felony crime rates, and particularly violent crimes, over the past five years.

Punishments to fit the crime: Habitual offender laws can result in defendants spending decades behind bars

Dusty Houser’s son has never met his grandfather outside a Mississippi Department of Corrections facility.

Houser was in his early 20s in 2007 when his father, Paul Houser of Caledonia, was sentenced to 60 years in prison after a jury convicted him of possessing precursors to making methamphetamine. That means Dusty Houser has spent most of his adult life with his father in prison.

Mother, grandmother charged with neglecting child who drowned

The 5-year-old victim referenced in indictments in a child neglect case in Lowndes County is a child who died over Labor Day weekend, authorities have confirmed.

CPD sets up mobile command center in business areas to deter holiday-related crime

Columbus Police Chief Fred Shelton has asked citizens not to be alarmed when Columbus Police Department parked its mobile command center in the Walmart parking lot Thursday afternoon, where it will remain for about a week before moving to Leigh Mall.

Depleted command staff, tenured officer exits cause stability concerns for CPD

More than 15 police officers — including several longtime ranking officers — have departed Columbus Police Department this year, leaving a force that sits at 55 with a dearth of command positions.

City set to install LED lights starting this month

A project to install more than 4,000 energy-efficient LED lights in the city is set to begin this month.

Faces of homelessness: Evictions, mental illness, inadequate housing all contribute to hidden issue

On Nov. 4, Louise Patmon was evicted from the home she’d lived in for three years.

‘They think they’re the dogs’: Caledonia family raising pet turkeys

Six days before Thanksgiving, a turkey came to Caledonia Elementary School.

Georgia-based retail firm new owners of Leigh Mall

Georgia-based retail real estate firm Hull Property Group is the new owner of Leigh Mall, according to a deed filed in the Lowndes County Chancery Clerk’s Office on Friday.

CLW to join ‘Home Uplift’ program for housing upgrades

Up to six Columbus homes will receive upgrades to make them more energy efficient through a partnership between the Tennessee Valley Authority and Columbus Light and Water.

Residents can go online to request police checks on homes while on vacation

The city of Columbus has rolled out two new features of its SeeClickFix program just in time for the holidays.

Defendant pleads guilty in Motel 6 murder

A Columbus man will spend 20 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to shooting another man to death outside the Motel 6 two years ago.

MHP trooper arrested for domestic violence

Columbus police have arrested a Mississippi Highway Patrol officer who is accused of slamming a woman into a car and causing her to hit her head.

Legislators: Mississippi hasn’t prioritized education

Funding, whether for pre-kindergarten programs or for the Mississippi Adequate Education Program (MAEP), was the primary topic of concern at the Columbus Lowndes Chamber of Commerce’s annual Education Town Hall Monday night.