City employee fired after drug test

A city employee who was involved in a automobile wreck in downtown Columbus last week has been fired after testing positive for marijuana.

Two arrested in New Hope meth lab bust

A search for stolen property in New Hope resulted in the discovery of a meth lab and the arrest of two people on Monday.

Columbus students use skills to earn scholarship money

Columbus High School students won more than $12,000 in scholarship money at the 2013 Scholar’s Olympiad Competition last week at East Mississippi Community College.

Thirteen students from McKellar Center, the school’s vocational program, competed in a series of competitions.

SPD begins downtown parking enforcement

Effective today, Starkville Police Department will begin enforcing a two-hour time limit on downtown parking.

CPD chief defends delay in grand jury cases

The Columbus Police Department presented only one case to the January grand jury, but it hardly suggests a dramatic drop in crime in the city.

Dust, noise accompany Caledonia fracking operation

Bob, who agreed to be interviewed on the condition his identity would not be revealed, stood in the middle of a field Friday, describing a hydraulic fracking operation that just started on property two football fields from his Caledonia home.

Nicholson out as Main Street Columbus director

For the second time in less than six months, Main Street Columbus is looking for a new director.

The Main Street Columbus board announced in a press release Thursday that Nickie Nicholson had been terminated, just seven weeks after she started the job.

Burglary spree ends with two arrests

Two men believed to be responsible for numerous burglaries in Lowndes County have been arrested.

Steven Deshun Blevins, 30, of 102 South Browder St., and Eddie Anthony Williams, 28, of 132 Lee St., were arrested Thursday afternoon after a Lowndes County deputy noticed the two men outside a home on Jolly Ridge Road in north Columbus. Law enforcement believe the men were prepared to burglarize the residence.

Operation Full Throttle expects 13 arrests today

Agents with the Lowndes County Narcotics Unit plan to arrest 13 people today on federal weapons and narcotics charges.

Hyatt, Marriott hotels should be open by end of the year

Two new Columbus hotels are well on their way to an eagerly anticipated completion.

Hyatt Place and Courtyard by Marriott will be opening in the coming months, which will add 208 hotel rooms to the city.

Liddell: No further cuts to athletics this year

Columbus Municipal School District Superintendent Dr. Martha Liddell assured parents and staff members via email Sunday that athletic funding will not be among the “non-essentials” that will be cut at the beginning of next month.

CAFB remains optimistic despite threat of budget cuts

Columbus Air Force Base officials responded last week to a memo that warned of sweeping budget cuts in the upcoming year, including cutting non-critical and non-combat flying hours by 20 percent.

Columbus man arrested for Southside armed robbery

A Columbus man was arrested for an armed robbery at a Southside apartment complex earlier this week.

Darrion Donyae Walls, 23, of 1320 2nd Avenue N., was arrested Tuesday and charged with felony armed robbery and misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance.

Car dealers encouraged by 2012 sales

For the first time since the Great Recession, new car sales topped 17 million in 2012.

For local car dealers, those numbers not only mean a banner year, but hope for the future.

Volunteers honor King’s memory through Day of Service

For a group of Lowndes County citizens, Saturday’s Day of Service was not just about donating their time to help out a local organization. It was about continuing the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

City workers scramble to fill potholes

The rain may finally have ended, but its costly residue remains.

After seven consecutive days of precipitation, the roadways have taken a major hit, in the form of potholes.

Weather-related accidents soar during winter storm

Thursday was a great day on the roads — if you owned a tow truck operation.

Otherwise, the nasty winter weather wreaked havoc on roads throughout the area.

Lowndes County cancels cleaning contract

The Lowndes County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to cancel a contract with Robinson Janitorial.

MUW unveils new vision for growth

“I am in love with the future of this university.”

With that one sentence, Mississippi University for Women President Dr. Jim Borsig ushered in a new chapter for the W at Monday’s unveiling of the university’s new vision.

CMSD names administrator of the year

Columbus Municipal School District has named their Administrator of the Year.

Patricia Overstreet, principal of Franklin Elementary Medical Sciences and Wellness Magnet School, received the award during Monday night’s school board meeting.