Alleged postal shooter in custody

A Michigan teenager is in custody after allegedly shooting a local United States Postal worker in the course of a robbery.

Spears resigns from Link’d Young Professionals

Jason Spears, vice-president of the Columbus Municipal School District’s Board of Trustees, announced Friday that he is resigning as board president of Link’d Young Professionals. He sent a letter to the Chamber of Commerce Thursday, informing them of his decision.

BREAKING: [UPDATE] Suspected shooter of postal worker captured

The man suspected of shooting a United States Postal worker has been caught. Authur Lee “Slim” Whitfield, 17, of Kalamazoo, Mich., was taken into custody just after 2 p.m. Friday afternoon by deputies with the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Department. He will be formally charged Monday with aggravated assault and armed robbery. 

Postal worker shot: Suspect still at large after robbery in New Hope housing development

The United States Postal Service is offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in the shooting of a rural mail carrier Thursday afternoon.

Heritage Academy changes name

Heritage Academy will soon be changing its name. A little.

Religious Liberty law may have unintended consequences

Last week, Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant signed legislation designed to ensure religious liberties in the state’s schools. While widely lauded by many in conservative Christian camps, others believe the legislation’s impact may result in some unintended consequences that go far beyond assuring that students can reference religion over the school intercom, at sporting events or at graduation ceremonies.

Verdell moves into school board post

The Columbus Municipal School Board began its March meeting with the swearing in of a new school board member. Angela Verdell was greeted with a hug and a kiss on the cheek by Mayor Robert Smith as she officially joined the board, replacing former board president Tommy Prude, whose term ended March 2.

Fugitive felony suspect out on bond

After six months on the run, a Columbus fugitive was arrested in Iowa and brought back to Columbus. Within 24 hours of his arrest, Orlando Guyton was back on the streets.

KiOR makes first fuel shipment

Alternative fuel company KiOR announced Monday it has made its long-awaited first shipment of fuel from its Columbus facility.

City Council expects update on city bus service

The proposed city bus service will once again appear before the Columbus City Council Tuesday night.

Dorothy Dowdell of Lawrence Public Transit is scheduled to address the council during the citizens input portion of the council meeting to update mayor Robert Smith and the councilmen on the status of the bus line.

Prude makes one last junket on district dime

At a time when the Columbus Municipal School District was cutting non-essential expenses, Tommy Prude spent close to $1,000 on a conference that was held just two days before his term on the school board ended.

Thankless, but essential

Some do it for the thrill. Others do it because they feel it is a lifelong calling. Some do it because they simply need a job out of law school.

But ask any attorney who serves as a public defender and you will hear that it is, most often, a thankless job.

MERIT program survives as elective course

The highly contentious gifted program within the Lowndes County School District was saved Friday, thanks in part to the outcry from students’ parents.

A standing-room-only crowd packed into the Lowndes County School Board meeting Friday morning, anxiously waiting to hear the school board’s decision on whether or not to cut the gifted program, commonly referred to as MERIT, for seventh and eighth-graders within the district.

3 arrested in post office drug bust

Three Columbus residents were arrested in front of the United States Post Office Thursday afternoon and charged with possession of marijuana.

Gifted programs serve unique purposes, instructors say

The proposal to end gifted classes in the county’s seventh and eighth grades will go before the Lowndes County School Board Friday.

Parents of the affected students have promised to be at the meeting and voice their opinions on why the district should not only continue to offer the gifted classes, commonly referred to as MERIT, but should offer them alongside pre-Advanced Placement classes.

Lowndes supervisors ask for more time to re-open Co-Op Road

The Lowndes County Board of Supervisors said it needs more time to repair Co-Op Road.

During Monday’s meeting, the board asked board attorney Tim Hudson to file an appeal against a February judgment that ordered the county to reopen Co-Op road.

Parents outraged by loss of gifted program

Although officials say it has been a move three years in the making, parents and students responded with shock and anger over the Lowndes County School District’s decision to drop its gifted program, commonly known as MERIT, for the county’s seventh- and eighth-graders.

CPD, sheriff’s department raising funds for ill officer

Local law enforcement agencies are banding together to support one of their own.

The Columbus Police Department is teaming up with the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Department, The Columbus Fire Department and Emergency 911 to help raise money for a CPD investigator who is battling cancer.

Columbus men sentenced on drug charges

Two Columbus men were sentenced in Lowndes County Circuit Court this week after each pleaded guilty to separate drug offenses.

Columbus businessman facing sexual harassment suit

A sexual harassment lawsuit has been filed in federal court against a Columbus businessman.

In a complaint filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court in Aberdeen, Shawn Carter alleges that she was sexually harassed by her former employer, Chris Glenn, while she worked as a secretary at Glenn Machine Works.