Neighbors shaken after Monday shooting

Just after dark Monday night, the sound of gunshots echoed on 15th Avenue South in Columbus.

Man shot dead in south Columbus

A man was shot and killed in south Columbus Monday night, according to authorities.

CMSD board members split on elected vs. appointed members

At their biannual retreat Monday, a majority of Columbus Municipal School District trustees said they would support elected board members.

Full-time volunteers make difference in community

Four years ago, Tina Sweeten-Lunsford, executive director of the Columbus Arts Council, had a problem. She had a volunteer working 40 hours a week…for no pay.

Federal judge: Boykin civil case will go on

A federal judge has denied former Columbus police officer Canyon Boykin’s request to delay a civil suit he filed against the city until after his manslaughter charge goes to trial.

MUW honors university’s first black students 50 years later

In 1966, Columbus college freshman Diane Hardy enrolled at Mississippi State College for Women, along with her two friends Barbara Turner Bankhead and Laverne Greene Leech.

They were the first black students to ever do so.

Development officer talks about saving exotic pets, abused animals at Cedarhill sanctuary

Clair McDougall has a unique job.

Police officer charged with domestic violence resigns

Columbus police officer Kenyada Blair has submitted her letter of resignation.

Audio: Officer besieged bedroom in home dispute

Columbus police officer Kenyada Blair engaged in a more than 12-minute anger-driven siege of a locked bedroom before she ultimately physically attacked her alleged victim, evidence authorities shared Tuesday with The Dispatch indicates.

Distemper virus found in raccoons in Starkville

Starkville Animal Control officials have discovered multiple cases of distemper in raccoons within Starkville City limits.

CMSD to form parent advisory group to focus on special education services

Columbus Municipal School District trustees on Monday handed the task of forming a Special Education Parent Advisory Committee to Superintendent Philip Hickman.

Lowndes school construction projects stay on pace

Neil Waggoner of JBHM Architects updated the Lowndes County School District Board of Trustees Friday on the district’s various bond projects.

Man arrested for fondling child under 14

A Columbus man has been arrested for allegedly molesting a child.

Disaster prep: First responders take part in active shooter drill on campus of MUW

Students lay on the ground outside Taylor Hall on Mississippi University for Women’s campus Thursday morning as sirens wailed and reports of shooters, hostages and fatalities came over the radios of nearby law enforcement officers.

16 CMSD students retained for reading scores

Sixteen students in the Columbus Municipal School District are repeating third grade this year after failing the 2015-16 state-mandated reading assessment, CMSD Superintendent Philip Hickman confirmed in an email Wednesday.

Boys and Girls Club to expand teen center with $50,000 grant

Every afternoon after school, 12-year-old Jakylia Collins gets off the school bus on 14th Avenue North to spend a little time at her home away from home.

Starkville teen arrested for alleged attack on officer

A teenager in Starkville has been arrested for assaulting a police officer.

MUW considers capital campaign

Mississippi University for Women has hired a fundraising company to conduct a feasibility study determining whether the university should launch a capital campaign.

CPD officer arrested in domestic violence

An officer with the Columbus Police Department has been arrested on a domestic violence charge.

Locals affected by MDOC policy

Twice a month, Shirley Ross drives two hours from her home in Maben to the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility in Rankin County to visit her little sister who is serving time for a drug conviction.