Statewide tennis tourney in Columbus

It was Thursday morning, less than 24 hours before Dudley Bearden returned to competitive tennis for the first time in eight years.

Slimantics: Good intentions, empty words

At noon Wednesday, a half hour into a student sit-in on the front steps of Lee Hall, a small group of reporters were led through a side entrance and up to the fourth floor of the beautifully-renovated old building where the office of Mississippi State University President Dr. Mark Keenum is located.

National Volunteer Week: For Uwusu, volunteer work has mutual benefits

Like a lot of 17-year-olds, Johanna Jones Uwusu isn’t entirely sure what she’ll ultimately do for a living.

Slimantics: Starkville Snake raise questions about pets

We do not know its name or even its gender, yet for the past two weeks the biggest celebrity in these parts has been a red-tailed boa constrictor that somehow escaped from its Starkville home on March 18.

Carriage rides have become a popular part of Columbus Pilgrimage

At a time when similar events in the South have been declining over the past few years, the Columbus Spring Pilgrimage continues to grow and prosper.

Lowndes Co. to provide $50K for tornado debris removal

Lowndes County Board of Supervisors spent its Monday meeting discussing cleanup needs due to the EF-1 tornado that ripped through the New Hope area Thursday.

Slimantics: Like it or not, our state is becoming more diverse

I don’t remember much about the day I became a United States citizen. Most likely, I was preoccupied with other things, like the concept of light, for example. My parents made a big deal of it, though. There was a little announcement published in the newspaper a few days later.

Slimantics: Time to celebrate Confederate Heritage Month

Today is April Fool’s Day. Perhaps by coincidence, it is also the first day of “Confederate Heritage Month” in Mississippi.

Slimantics: Hosemann’s leadership is a rare commodity

Nine years ago, during Delbert Hosemann’s first campaign for Mississippi Secretary of State, the only thing that stuck with most Mississippians outside of Hosemann’s hometown of Vicksburg was his unusual name.

Latest Golden Triangle jobless numbers show drop from Feb. ’15

Unemployment rates in the Golden Triangle dropped noticeably in February.

Slimantics: MSU women show toughness needed to be Sweet

Roughly 15 minutes after Mississippi State point guard Morgan William dribbled away the final frantic seconds and heaved the ball into the air as a roaring crowd of 7,094 at Humphrey Coliseum erupted in celebration of a 74-72 victory against Michigan State, Spartans’ coach Suzy Merchant sat before her post-game press conference with a glum trio of players.

Slimantics: For MSU women, another Dog-Day Afternoon

Twelve years ago, Ron Artest of the Indiana Pacers went into the stands during a game brawl in Detroit, an incident that became part of NBA infamy known as Malice in the Palace.

Slimantics: The state flag debate more than ballgames and business prospects

Today, Mississippi State will play host to the first and second rounds of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament, which prompted a curious reader to call and ask for an explanation.

Supes move on IT position, reach compromise on EMA staffing

The Lowndes County Board of Supervisors will pursue one new position while agreeing on a compromise on another during Tuesday’s regular meeting.

Slimantics: A case of questionable answers

On Jan. 1, 1935, The Dispatch introduced a new daily feature on Page 1.

Outside of the newspaper’s masthead, it is probably the only thing in The Dispatch that hasn’t changed over the intervening 80-plus years.

Slimantics: State Senate theme song: Free fallin’

What is to be made of the Mississippi Senate’s vote Thursday to pass a $577 million tax cut through a bill it laughably calls “The Taxpayer Pay Raise Act?”

Lowndes supes explores adding two new positions

On Monday, the Lowndes County Board of Supervisors tasked County Administrator Ralph Billingsley with putting together job descriptions and salary recommendations for two new positions, setting up a possible showdown between Board President Harry Sanders and District 5 Supervisor Leroy Brooks.

Slimantics: MSMS mock election results offer insights into young voters

Feel the Bern?

Students at Mississippi School for Math & Science certainly did Monday during the school’s mock presidential primary election.

Slimantics: What it takes to have a successful town

James Fallows, distinguished author and writer for The Atlantic magazine has, for the past few years, traveled the country to tell the story of America from a different perspective — that of the small cities and towns that dominate our nation from coast to coast.

Brooks boils over during supervisors’ meeting

A long-simmering feud along racial lines spilled over during the Lowndes County Board of Supervisors meeting Monday during a discussion on whether the county should hire a full time Information Technology specialist.