Two years later: Recovery from 2019 tornado has been slow, sporadic

Tuesday marks the second anniversary of the EF-3 tornado that swept through the heart of Columbus north of Main Street.

COVID vaccinations rescheduled for mass sites

COVID-19 vaccinations at Fairview Baptist Church in Columbus and the Mississippi Horse Park in Oktibbeha County that were scheduled for today are canceled.

Golden Triangle sees fewer power outages, car accidents than expected

Utility companies are reporting far fewer issues with power outages than anticipated throughout the first day of a winter storm that has seen below-freezing temperatures and ice on roads and power lines.

Emergency management officials, utility companies brace for possible winter storms

Emergency management officials, utility companies and schools are keeping a close eye on the forecast as the Golden Triangle braces for severe weather.

CLW general manager Todd Gale found dead near camp house

Columbus Light and Water General Manager Todd Gale died Saturday morning, Lowndes County Coroner Greg Merchant has confirmed.

A heart for Miss Mildred: Community rallies, Zachary’s to hold Sunday fundraiser

You probably don’t know Mildred Sue Jones, better known simply as “Miss Mildred,” but if you’ve spent any time around downtown Columbus, particularly along Highway 45, you have no doubt seen her.

The tiny woman, her short hair most often covered with a bandana, spends her days pushing a shopping cart along Highway 45, mostly along the stretch of highway between the Highway 82 interchange and Main Street, often doing odd jobs at stores along the way to help support herself. If you have attended First United Methodist Church, you may have encountered her out front, passing out church bulletins at Sunday morning services.

Slimantics: A Tale of Two Trials

After watching four hours of the Senate Impeachment trial Wednesday, it seems virtually impossible that anyone who watched the proceedings, including the 100 Senators who are serving as the jury, could not walk away convinced Donald Trump is indeed guilty of “high crimes and misdemeanors” in inciting the violence at the U.S. Capitol on Jan 6.

Local massage therapist opposes cuts to training hours

Proposed legislation to massage the licensing requirements for massage therapists in the state is rubbing one Columbus practitioner the wrong way.

House Bill 1315, which passed the House by a 74-36 vote Monday, would reduce the number of hours required to obtain a massage therapy license by 200 and cut the required number of hours of clinical training in half.

‘It was just us’: Seven students from one family tie histories of Franklin, Union academies

On Friday, the Columbus Municipal School District will hold a ceremony at Franklin Academy to celebrate the second of the city’s two landmark events in the history of public education.

At 4 p.m. former Franklin Academy students, school officials and local and state dignitaries will gather in front of the school on Third Avenue North for a program and monument unveiling to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the school, the first public school in Mississippi.

Outdoor celebration of Franklin bicentennial set for Friday

When Columbus Municipal School District Superintendent Cherie Labat was called up to provide an update on plans for Friday’s bicentennial celebration of Franklin Academy, she prefaced remarks by addressing the weather.

Teachers request more input on year-round school

Columbus Municipal School District will hold another meeting to discuss the 2021-22 school calendar after the president of the local teachers organization criticized a lack of teacher input for the plans during Monday’s regular school board meeting.

Monday Profile: West Lowndes 4th grader bests mostly 8th graders to win county spelling bee

Carmen Hairston stepped up to the microphone at the Trotter Convention Center Wednesday, took a deep breath and waited to hear the word that could make her the youngest ever winner of the Scripps Howard Columbus-Lowndes District Spelling Bee.

The West Lowndes fourth-grader, competing against 25 other county students, many of them eighth-graders, had successfully advanced through six rounds to get to the moment and now needed one more correct spelling to defeat her co-finalist, an eighth-grader.

One mayoral, four alderman candidates join Caledonia races

When Bill Darnell announced he would not seek another term as aldermen for the town of Caledonia, it appeared there wouldn’t be a Darnell in town government for the first time since 1979.

As it turns out, that may have been premature. In the final 48 hours of the qualifying period, five candidates joined the race, including the wife and nephew of the long-time alderman.

Animal shelters trying to bounce back from ‘crazy’ 2020

It’s been almost a year since COVID-19 arrived in the Golden Triangle, a year Lowndes County Humane Society Director Karen Johnwick described as a journey from “crazy” to “normal” during her appearance Thursday’s Columbus Exchange Club luncheon at Lion Hills Center.

CMSD to consider year-round school calendar vote Monday

The Columbus Municipal School District Board of Trustees is set to vote on adopting a modified school calendar, perhaps as soon as Monday.

‘Go big or go home’: Business that started in couple’s garage uses MDA grant for much-needed expansion

For almost a quarter-century, the husband-wife team of George and Judy East have been operating East Systems, Inc., an electronic components company in East Columbus.

It’s been a pretty good partnership for the couple who grew up together in Houston, Mississippi. George is an electrical engineer while Judy is an accountant. It’s a nice combination of skills.

“I make it and she pays it,” George said.

Slimantics: Use them or lose them rights

The Mississippi Legislature is back to its usual mischief.

MSU archaeology professor invites public on summer research trips to ‘new and old’ worlds

Jimmy Hardin enrolled at Mississippi State to study archeology in 1986, but his interest in the field probably started years earlier, not in school, but in church.

Soil and Water Conservation District to distribute trees, encourage planting

Joyce Kilmer’s most famous poem, “Trees” ends with couplet:

“Poems are made by fools like me,

But only God can make a tree.”

The Lowndes County Soil and Water Conservation District won’t be making any trees, but are making them available this week to the public at large and Feb. 15 to third-graders throughout the county.

Apartment complex fails to pay bills; 100+ left without water

When Rosheda Moseley arrived at her East Columbus apartment a little after 7 a.m. Friday, she washed her face and went to bed.