Articles by Nerissa Young
Local teacher inducted into hall of fame
A Columbus teacher was among five inducted into the Mississippi Hall of Master Teachers at Mississippi University for Women Friday.
Infrastructure a top priority for Columbus mayor
Mayor Robert Smith said if he were king for a day, he would improve the city’s infrastructure. The difficulty of being mayor, not king, is the mayor has to have the votes and the money to get it done, Smith said. However, he pledged his No. 1 goal as mayor is improvements in street paving and storm drainage, water and sewer lines.
Tourism board tightens guidelines for grant money
The Columbus-Lowndes Convention and Visitors Bureau board of directors approved new grant guidelines Thursday that will take full effect during the 2012-13 fiscal year.
Holliman murder conviction overturned
A Lowndes County man will get a new trial after the state Supreme Court overturned his murder conviction for “an egregious display of prosecutorial misconduct.”
Lowndes supervisors send good wishes, money with EMCC football team
They are gone with the wind and the best wishes of Lowndes County.
The East Mississippi Community College football team was scheduled to depart Golden Triangle Regional Airport this morning about 9 a.m. They left with good will from the Lowndes County Board of Supervisors and $25,000 for travel expenses.
Lowndes supervisors offer help to residents after abandoning their road
The Lowndes County Board of Supervisors pledged Wednesday to work with the city of Columbus to help residents affected by a road abandonment.
MUW president choice was community effort
The appointment of Dr. Jim Borsig as Mississippi University for Women’s new president was a group effort.
That theme was emphasized repeatedly during his all-day Wednesday campus meetings with community leaders, deans, department heads, faculty, staff, students, alumni and anyone interested in the future of Columbus’ historic institution of higher learning.
Borsig named MUW president
The W is now spelled B-o-r-s-i-g. The state College Board ended suspense at about 3:30 this afternoon and appointed Dr. Jim Borsig as the university’s new president.
Mayor touts Kerr-McGee cleanup; Link official doubts it
Cleanup at the former Kerr-McGee Chemical Plant property was a key topic in Mayor Robert Smith’s comments at the Rotary Club’s weekly meeting Tuesday. A $7 million trust fund for the city of Columbus is being used to clean up 28 homes contaminated by the former plant that manufactured pressure-treated wood products, the mayor said.
EPA eyes Kerr-McGee land for renewable energy site
An abandoned Superfund site in the city may see new life as a solar energy producer.
The city of Columbus is asking the Environmental Protection Agency to consider a solar panel farm at the former Kerr-McGee Chemical Plant. The EPA announced earlier this month it will study the site to determine what kind and whether a renewable energy facility can be built on the property at 2300 14th Ave. N.
Stores report busy, mostly peaceful sales
Area stores are experiencing brisk sales for the official Black Friday launch of the holiday shopping season. Store representatives said shoppers were well-behaved. The only reported problem was outside the Belk store on Highway 45 North before the store opened.
Stores offer gift cards, credits to entice Black Friday shoppers
National chain Walmart is starting its Black Friday sales on Thanksgiving Day, but Columbus department stores are sticking to the traditional early-morning Friday openings.
CVB approves MLK money after heated debate, five motions
The chairman of the Columbus-Lowndes Convention and Visitors Bureau board of directors got a new gavel Monday evening. And he needed it. George Swales used the gift at least three times to call the meeting back to order when it degenerated into name-calling and accusations among the nine-person board.
CVB members threaten one another with ethics complaints
Members of the Columbus-Lowndes Convention and Visitors Bureau board of directors grappled with a flurry of ethics issues during Monday’s regular meeting.