Articles by Slim Smith
Slimantics: Remembering Kaila Morris
Kaila Morris’ Facebook page doesn’t get much traffic outside of September and December.
Slimantics: Cow crime leaves plenty of unanswered questions
Over the past few years I’ve become something of a true crime addict. As I flip through the TV channels in a vain attempt to find something to watch, the true crime channels are my default programming.
Slimantics: When a fine is just fine
If you were to ask a knowledgeable Mississippi State football fan to name the school’s greatest win, it’s almost certain the answer would be when Mississippi State defeated top-ranked and unbeaten Alabama with a dramatic goal-line stand at Memorial Stadium in Jackson on Nov. 1, 1980.
Slimantics: Waistlines and parties both change
Even though he disagreed with the main point of my recent column about Medicaid cutbacks, I enjoyed reading Joseph Boggess’ Letter to the Editor because he reminded us that the Democratic Party once was even more inclined toward racism than the Republican Party is today.
Slimantics: Katrina is a story of survival
I slept through Hurricane Katrina when it made landfall on the morning of Aug. 29, 2005.
Slimantics: Stickin’ it to the poor: A Mississippi tradition
Mississippians tend to be suspicious. We are, generally speaking, conformists at heart and are therefore ill at ease with those who disturb the status quo.
Slimantics: When the world changes faster than your major
I met Kevin in the fall of 1980, when we were suitemates at Suttle Hall at Mississippi State. He was one of those people who planned their lives to the finest details. At this particular moment, his career path was his greatest priority. He was going to be a petroleum engineer, which seemed oddly specific to me.
Slimantics: Revenge of the old me
On July 9, 1948, Satchel Paige, already a legend in the Negro Leagues, made his Major League debut with the Cleveland Indians amid much speculation about his age.
Community Profile: Anthony uses ‘heart of a teacher’ to update state history textbook
By his own admission, Kenneth Anthony is not a historian, so when he was chosen to update the Mississippi history textbook the state’s junior high and high school students are using this year, it may have seemed an odd choice.
Slimantics: Will we ever heed Eisenhower’s warning?
Dwight Eisenhower’s 1961 presidential farewell speech to the nation is remembered almost exclusively for a phrase he coined, one that seemed to be contrary to his entire career.
Slimantics: For Macon, Simmons is more than a star – he’s a neighbor who gives back
Among football fans, defensive tackle Jeffrey Simmons has become a household name and has the honors to go with it – a two-time first-team All-SEC at Mississippi State and a two-time second-team All-Pro and three-time Pro Bowl pick for the Tennessee Titans.
In memoriam: Beloved pediatrician leaves behind legacy of devotion to patients, practice
For years, each time Dr. Jacob Skiwski arrived at the nursery at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle he made his entrance known with a sing-song inquiry that became his trademark: “Any new ones? Any blue ones?”
Slimantics: We shouldn’t have to die for railroad safety equipment
When I sat down with John Lumsden and his family in the spring of 2015, it had been almost 40 years since his 14-year-old daughter, Laura, had been killed in a car/train collision at a railroad crossing on New Hope Road.
Slimantics: Robotaxis beware: NYC eats hesitation for breakfast
Tesla introduced its robotaxis – which are already operated by ride-sharing companies like Uber and Waymo – on Sunday in Austin, Texas. Although it is not the first to offer autonomous cabs, anything Tesla does for the first time seems to attract enormous attention.
Slimantics: Coming in 2026: White Choice
The 2026 session of the Mississippi Legislature is still seven months away, but House Speaker Jason White has already selected the soundtrack for the session – School Choice. Same song, 71st verse.
Slimantics: A kid’s summer should be outdoors and active
I grew up in a world where almost all kids were feral once school let out for summer.
In memoriam: Longtime pastor, community advocate passes away at 60
When Kabir Karriem was a little kid, maybe 7 or 8 years old, he remembers sometimes tagging along with his older brother, Kamal, and his brother’s friend, Steven James, on their trips to school at Mississippi State University.
Slimantics: The sports editor blues
It’s the end of May, which means the period of time sports editors dread most, especially sports editors who don’t work in major cities. High school spring sports have ended. Newspapers that have colleges nearby are seeing those sports draw to close as well.
In memoriam: Influential West Point arts advocate passes away at 87
In the beginning, there was Louise Campbell.
Starkville duo, New Hope striker relish all-star opportunity
July 11, 2025
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