Articles by Slim Smith
Caledonia’s Brad Freeman, last surviving member of ‘Band of Brothers’ unit, passes away at 97
Brad Freeman, who passed away Sunday from COVID-19 at Baptist-Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle, spent 94 of his 97 years in Lowndes County, mostly in Caledonia where he worked as mailman for 32 years, raised a family and raised vegetables and cattle on the side.
America’s TikTok Dad
When Columbus resident Summer Clayton opened his TikTok account a year and a half ago, he never imagined it would lead to his role as a surrogate dad to more than 3 million followers.
‘Better now than never’: Legislature looks to bolster women’s health options, foster care system in wake of recent Roe v. Wade ruling
Since the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision guaranteed the right to an abortion, conservative legislators have spent considerable energy in writing laws to chip away at that right.
Slimantics: Abortion still legal under Mississippi’s Constitution?
When the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade Friday, it ruled that the legality of abortions should be determined by each state.
Cooling stations cannot open due to no volunteers
This week’s heat wave did not catch the Golden Triangle Homeless Coalition by surprise.
But something else did.
Slimantics: Summer days are memory-makers
Today is the summer solstice, often referred to as the longest day of the year. Of course, all days consist of 24 hours, so what is meant by the longest day of the year is that summer solstice is the day there is more daylight than any other.
Monday Profile: Four magnolias leave lasting mark of Allen Ellis’ career at General Tire
Along the Highway 69 frontage of the old General Tire/Omnova site on Yorkville Road in Columbus are four magnolia trees, planted in a neat row, now approximately 25 feet tall.
Lynn Wright remembered as a man who showed grace
Rep. Lynn Wright, 69, died Friday morning in Tuscaloosa from ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.
Slimantics: Monument relocation is a tale worthy of O Henry, Faulkner
Someday, perhaps 40 to 50 years hence, visitors to Friendship Cemetery will happen upon the Confederate monument tucked away in a corner of the property, where it soars 32 feet above the graves of the Civil War dead interred there, and consider it an oddity, and an embarrassing one at that, given the regrettable inscription honoring the “great cause” for which Confederate soldiers laid down their lives.
First medical marijuana permits get filed
In July, Mississippi will begin accepting applications for those wanting to open a medical marijuana dispensary. Before that, aspiring dispensary owners must receive permits from their city, approving the location of the dispensary.
Oktibbeha dam repair ineligible for state matching ARPA funds
Even as they awaited a final estimate on the cost to repair the Oktibbeha County Lake dam, county supervisors were relying on state matching ARPA funds to help cover those costs.
Slimantics: Guest, Kelly have consistently voted against constituents’ best interests
It’s hardly a secret that Mississippi is a one-party state. Republicans hold every state-wide elected office and a supermajority in both chambers of the Mississippi legislature.
Slimantics: When you care enough to do nothing
For the past couple of days, I’ve been listening to Republican politicians offer their solutions to mass shootings such as the one in Texas that killed 19 elementary school teachers and two teachers.
Social media personality’s home shot during show
It may not have been the shot heard ‘round the world, but several thousand viewers did hear the shots Tuesday evening that led to the arrest of a Columbus man for shooting into the home of a popular local social media show host.
Plum Creek expansion exceeds expectations
Last November, the family-owned West Point company, Plum Creek Environmental, which manufactures waste containers and recycling equipment, took advantage of a rebate program from the Mississippi Development Authority to help defray costs of a $3 million expansion.
Businessman, Tupelo developer buy First Baptist
When Vince Rapisarda picked up The Dispatch on Feb. 2, a particular story caught his eye:
The sale of the First Baptist Church property at 202 Seventh St. N. in Columbus, which had been under contract since Nov. 1, had fallen through.
“I called Royce (Hudspeth) the same day,” Rapisarda said Thursday.
Slimantics: In higher ed, student loans are a symptom, not the illness
I took a 40-year break between my junior and senior year in college. At the time I dropped out of school I had no student loan debt. When I returned to complete my degree at Mississippi State I lived primarily on student loans, supplemented with a part-time job at the B-Quik convenience store.
Citizens spur $25K effort to restore Munroe crypt
When the Columbus Garden Club began its project to restore the imposing 152-year-old crypt of Margaret Boyle Munroe at Friendship Cemetery, the first order of business was to find someone to do the job.
Auction set for Windy Hill property in Prairie
“One of a kind” is an overused expression, but when Jeff Hathorn used the term to describe Windy Hill it’s worth noting.
Slimantics: Curfew is a well-intentioned, but misguided, response to crime
My dad was not an educated man, at least as far as formal education goes. But neither was he a dummy.
