Articles by Tess Vrbin
Employees, customers required to wear masks as Starkville businesses reopen
Some Starkville businesses are allowed to reopen with restrictions under Gov. Tate Reeves’ new executive order that took effect Monday, but all employees and customers over the age of 6 are required to wear protective face masks from 8 a.m. today until 8 a.m. May 11 to curb the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, the board of aldermen decided Monday with a 5-2 vote at a special-call meeting.
Keenum: MSU will receive $17.8M from CARES Act
The second week of March seems like it was a year ago, Mississippi State University President Mark Keenum told the Starkville Rotary Club at its virtual meeting Monday.
Starkville police arrest two men for shelter in place violation, one for kidnapping
Two men have been charged with shelter in place violations and at least one has been charged with kidnapping a juvenile after they tried to run from Starkville police at a driver’s license checkpoint Friday night.
CampusKnot sees business boom during pandemic
In the past four weeks, the learning management system CampusKnot received 8,000 visitors to its website, with schools at all levels worldwide forced into distance learning by the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
Presley advocates ‘hell-bent approach’ to expanding broadband
When it became clear in mid-March that the COVID-19 coronavirus would put normal life on hold, the Mississippi Public Service Commission halted all water, sewer, gas and electricity disconnections for unpaid utility bills.
Aldermen approve furloughs, pay cuts for city staff until further notice
Starkville aldermen approved a series of measures Tuesday to cover nearly all of the $1.3 million that Mayor Lynn Spruill estimates the city will lose in sales tax revenue this fiscal year due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
Oktibbeha supes OK fee-in-lieu for potential solar power facility
Oktibbeha County will enter a “fee-in-lieu of ad valorem taxes” agreement with a potential solar energy project if it is secured and built, thanks to a unanimous vote from the board of supervisors on Monday.
Peasant: Leading SOCSD during a pandemic takes ‘good common sense’
Eddie Peasant worked for the Gulfport School District in 2005 when Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast. The district returned to school a few days later, he said.
West Point hospital staffers build protective device for NMMC network
Thanks to four West Point hospital employees, PVC pipes and thin plastic covers are some north Mississippi health care workers’ strongest defense against the COVID-19 coronavirus.
77-year-old from Oktibbeha County dies of COVID-19
A fourth person in Oktibbeha County has died from the COVID-19 coronavirus, coroner Michael Hunt confirmed this morning.
Aldermen to consider furloughs, pay cuts for city staff amid pandemic
Starkville aldermen will consider a proposed $737,500 in cuts to the city’s budget to start to make up for what Mayor Lynn Spruill said she anticipates to be a $1.3 million sales tax revenue shortfall due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
Attic fire guts Captain D’s in Starkville
The Captain D’s fast food location on Highway 12 in Starkville caught fire Wednesday morning, leaving the interior of the building caved in.
SOCSD becomes second district to leave GTECHS
The Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District became the second district to cut ties with the Golden Triangle Early College High School with two unanimous votes by the board of trustees at their Tuesday meeting.
K-12 education takes on new methods, challenges during pandemic
Since the COVID-19 pandemic forced schools to close in March, Elise Wilson has had a lot on her plate.
Church bells chime as ‘message of solidarity’ with Golden Triangle health care workers
Irene Pintado was out for a walk with two friends — several feet apart, she said — at 6 p.m. Wednesday in Columbus when they heard the St. James United Methodist Church bells ringing.
Pintado said she hoped the sound reminds people that “we’re in this together” during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially while the state is under a “shelter in place” order.
Aldermen approve hiring, travel freeze, suspend scheduled pay raise
Starkville aldermen on Tuesday approved several cost-saving measures to limit the impact of the loss of sales tax revenue since most businesses are closed.
Aldermen enact 13-day citywide curfew
Starkville aldermen approved a 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew on Tuesday in response to the escalating COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
Oktibbeha supes enact curfew, require protective measures from departments
The Oktibbeha supervisors unanimously passed a 30-day curfew at Monday’s board meeting in response to the continued spread of COVID-19 coronavirus.
Aldermen to consider city hiring freeze, suspending scheduled pay raises
Starkville aldermen will consider three measures this evening to limit the impact of the sales tax revenue shortfall that Mayor Lynn Spruill said will inevitably come from the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
Monday Profile: Starkville Kiwanis member makes a lifestyle of helping others
Nan Rushing couldn’t focus on the book she was trying to read.
The retired teacher and member of the Starkville Kiwanis club is normally enthusiastic about books, even organizing book drives every April.