Lightning strike prompts move to fortify E-911 center against future damage

The Columbus-Lowndes E-911 board of commissioners soon may be seeking outside help to fortify the county’s E-911 call center against lightning damage, board members said during a Tuesday night meeting.

Foreign pilots no strangers to area’s skies

From Uganda to Peru, pilots from nearly 50 countries during the past several decades have streaked across the skies of the Golden Triangle as part of American and foreign-funded aviation training programs.

Columbus restaurant owner dies in crash

A 45-year-old Sulligent, Ala., resident and Columbus restaurant owner died Monday morning after a vehicle she was driving collided with an 18-wheeler logging truck.

School wants new location

A longtime Columbus education center wants to move to a new more visible location across town, the school’s owner said during a Columbus Planning Commission meeting Monday.

West Point braces for ‘big impact’ of Navistar losses

WEST POINT – With Navistar’s loss of a major military contract, resulting in the loss of 275 jobs at its plant here, Clay County officials and business owners are bracing for a wave of economic consequences.

Shooting suspect behind bars

A Columbus man is behind bars today after he was arrested Tuesday in connection with a June 19 shooting on 18th Street North.

Port authority exploring TIGER grant options

Members of the Lowndes County Port Authority soon may be seeking part of a large federal grant to aid the agency in constructing a nearly $6 million rail spur near the county’s West Bank Port.

LCSO Deputy involved in vicksburg incident reprimanded

The May 6 incident at the Vicksburg National Military Park, which resulted in the unpaid 15-day suspension of four Columbus police officers, resulted in a letter of reprimand for the lone Lowndes County deputy who was also involved.

Under par: Membership, usage down at Golden Triangle golf courses

Business for several Golden Triangle golf courses and pro shops has been at a slow putt during the past year, as area greenskeepers have been struggling to deal with a rough national economy.

New council names Gavin vice mayor

New faces during a Tuesday night Columbus City Council meeting brought a pair of new members to city posts and area committees, as a newly elected council breezed through a relatively brief session.

Ruling: DePriest owes business partner $9.1 million

A lengthy legal matter between Columbus businessman Donald DePriest and his former associate Oliver Phillips has ended, with Lowndes County Chancery Court Judge Kenneth Burns ruling in favor of Phillips to the tune of $9.1 million.

Brooks, Sanders clash over board pick

The appointment of a former Columbus City Council candidate to the Lowndes County Industrial Development Board sparked a heated argument Monday during a county Board of Supervisors meeting.

Board votes to hire appraiser for Burns Bottom land

Lowndes County economic development officials may be nearing an end to their search for property options from more than 30 landowners in the city’s Burns Bottom area.

New steel plant headed for Lowndes

About 65 jobs and a $25 million investment soon could be on its way to the Golden Triangle Industrial Park, members of the Lowndes County Board of Supervisors announced during a Tuesday meeting.

Texas-based New Process Steel, which has plants in Birmingham, Ala., Dallas and Mexico, this week signed a memorandum of understanding with Lowndes County outlining plans to locate a 100,000-square-foot flat rolled steel manufacturing plant next to the Severstal steel mill off Airport Road in western Lowndes County.

Crime, quality of life on minds of Ward 5 residents

City appearance, crime and talk of the area’s upcoming sportsplex project dominated discussions Monday night during Ward 5 Columbus City Councilman-elect Kabir Karriem’s first community meeting.

During the nearly hour-and-a-half meeting, which drew about 20 Ward 5 residents to the Columbus-Lowndes Public Library, several area citizens shared their concerns on many issues they believe are plaguing the central-city ward.

New steel facility to locate in Lowndes County

About 65 jobs and a $25 million investment soon could be on its way to the Golden Triangle Industrial Park, members of the Lowndes County Board of Supervisors said this morning.

Mayor top fund-raiser in city races

Columbus Mayor Robert Smith significantly outraised and outspent independent opponent Tom Geiger during the mayoral campaign, with a host of contributions including $500 from a Washington-based lobbying firm, reports show.

Paccar plant delays opening a year

Adverse economic conditions and a decrease in demand have delayed the expected opening date of the more than 400,000-square-foot Paccar engine plant near the Golden Triangle Regional Airport, according to company officials.

Downtown Columbus still shines

Though the country’s economic climate may have had a negative effect on some downtown Columbus businesses, the Friendly City’s center during the last year seems to have bucked a national trend of economic uncertainty.

Local auto sales outlook brightens

Though the nation’s economy may not be “out of the woods just yet,” several Columbus automobile dealers are beginning to see a jump start in their car sales.