Caledonia seeks commissioners, director for park

As originally planned, this would be the year the last of the original members of the Caledonia Park Commission served in overseeing the town’s parks and recreation department.

Slimantics: Thanks to Mississippi legislators, poor people can forget about access to medical marijuana

Assuming that Gov. Tate Reeves calls a special session on a bill hammered out by negotiators from the House and Senate last week, it looks as though Mississippi will finally have a medical marijuana program.

Baseball title nets MSU media exposure worth $146M

The topic was what kind of exposure did the 2021 NCAA baseball championship bring Mississippi State and by way of introduction, MSU Chief Communications Officer Sid Salter engaged in a game of word association.

Local legislators support medical marijuana effort

Golden Triangle lawmakers say they support the effort to pass legislation to begin a medical marijuana program.

Slimantics: Tate Reeves: Mississippi’s “lagging indicator”

Sunday morning, I learned that Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves would be a guest on CNN’s “State of the Union’’ program, and I recognized an old familiar feeling. It was like being called to the principal’s office: You don’t know what’s going to happen, but you know it isn’t going to be good.

Three vehicles crash into Columbus buildings in 10-day span

On Saturday evening, an alcohol-related car accident sent a vehicle crashing into the Ranch House Diner on Alabama Street, the third incident of an auto colliding with a building in 10 days and the second in less than 24 hours.

Monday Profile: Starkville optometrist provides free vision screenings for infants

It was 2003 and former President Jimmy Carter was addressing a national optometry conference in Atlanta.

Damage to fire station less than expected

City officials say damage to Columbus Fire Station No. 5, caused when a pickup truck plowed into the building on Sept. 8, was not as extensive as initially feared.

Slimantics: Carver’s childish act of sabotage

You have to be 18-years-old to serve as an alderman in the city of Starkville.

There is no maturity requirement, however, which in large part explains Ben Carver’s continued presence on the board.

Leigh Mall time capsule to be exhumed in October

It was the summer of 1972 and, typical of the era, kids were mostly left to their own devices to fill up the long, languid summer days before the start of school.

Slimantics: EMCC’s dangerous waters

Beneath still waters, as the song goes, there’s a strong undertow. The surface won’t tell you what the deep water knows.

Council appoints Mitchell to GTRA board

Although he is probably best known around town in his role as an attorney, Gawyn Mitchell’s interest in flying predates his legal work.

Workforce Development: Schools, nonprofits expose students to skill training at Communiversity

In his six months as the state’s workforce training czar, Ryan Miller confesses the job is a little like herding cats.

City offering clinics for COVID rental assistance program

Columbus Ward 2 Councilman Joseph Mickens doesn’t know how many renters in the city qualify for a federal COVID-19 relief program that provides up to 15 months in rent and utility payments for those negatively affected by the pandemic.

Slimantics: Ethel finds her voice

Ethel Stewart was elected to fill the unexpired term of her late brother, Gene Taylor, as Columbus Ward 1 councilman in October 2019 and was elected to her first full-term this summer.

Gaskin breaks tie, shoots down mask mandate

Three times during Thursday’s special-call meeting, Columbus Mayor Keith Gaskin concluded his comments on the mask mandate under consideration by the city council by saying it would be his final word on the subject.

Paving work stalls again; likely won’t meet deadline

On July 6, Columbus City Council hired Neel-Schaffer Engineering to manage a $5.5 million paving/concrete infrastructure project after the city’s project management contract with J5 Global expired at the end of June.

COVID vaccinations, testing trend upward

On Monday, data from the Mississippi State Department of Health showed the COVID-19 death toll has eclipsed 8,000 in the state as the Delta variant continues to pile up record and near-record daily case numbers, largely among the unvaccinated.

Slimantics: When we lose the idea of the common good, we lose America

We are fast approaching a milestone anniversary. Twenty years ago, on Sept. 11, 2001, terrorists commandeered commercial airplanes to kill more than 3,000 Americans in New York, D.C. and Pennsylvania.

Ivermectin sales surge at pharmacies, feed stores despite inconclusive studies on effectiveness against COVID-19

In his book, “Summer of ‘49,” David Halberstam told the story of Boston Red Sox manager Joe McCarthy’s efforts to reform a talented, but troubled pitcher whose drinking binges made him unreliable.