Articles by Yue Stella Yu
‘Symbol of hope’: Crawford gym reopening brings local youth together
Ball in hand, Tagarrine “Gary” Ellis hops off the ground.
All eyes are on him. On the scoreboard, his team trails behind the other closely. The 17-year-old Starkville High School senior aims, then shoots. He scores as the ball swishes in the basket.
Over the past six months, Ellis has been looking forward to a day when he could play basketball again with his childhood friends at the gym by the Crawford Community Center.
And now, he said, that day has finally come.
Columbus mask requirements take effect today
Mask requirements in the city of Columbus went into effect at 7 a.m. today and will remain in effect until further notice.
City borrows $6.5M for streets despite financial uncertainty
Despite a projected revenue downturn due to the pandemic, Columbus City Council voted 5-1 Tuesday night to issue a $6.5 million general obligation bond for street paving.
Columbus donates cemetery parcel to county for monument move
In a unanimous vote, Columbus City Council yielded a piece of land at Friendship Cemetery Tuesday night to Lowndes County for the relocation of the Confederate monument outside the county courthouse.
Lowndes supes vote to move Confederate monument to Friendship Cemetery
The Confederate Monument that has sat outside Lowndes County Courthouse for more than a century is moving to Friendship Cemetery.
Supes grapple with how to move forward with Sanders still on board
Dissatisfied with District 1 Supervisor Harry Sanders’ decision to only step down as board president during a Tuesday meeting over his recent racist remarks, many of his fellow supervisors and other local leaders vowed to continue pushing for his full resignation from the board.
How does a removal petition work?
With District 1 Supervisor Harry Sanders refusing to resign from the board over his recent racist remarks, some officials who have urged him to step down, including Supervisors Trip Hairston of District 2 and Leroy Brooks of District 5, say one way to force his removal is through a citizen petition.
Local Fourth of July celebrations scarce this year
Area residents will only have a handful of Fourth of July celebrations to enjoy this year as many events are canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sanders steps down as supes president, does not resign
Harry Sanders opened Tuesday morning’s Lowndes County Board of Supervisors meeting by stepping down as board president.
He did not resign from the board entirely.
‘It’s quite late to do that’: Many say Sanders’ apology for racist remarks ineffective
Lowndes County Board of Supervisors President Harry Sanders says he’s sorry for comments he made more than a week ago saying Blacks have been “dependent” since slavery and that they are the only ethnicity that has not assimilated into American society.
Colom vows transparency in future officer-involved cases
Two press conferences. Two vastly different conclusions.
Lowndes County supervisors at standoff over Sanders’ refusal to resign
Lowndes County supervisors have reached a deadlock over their stances on embattled Board of Supervisors President Harry Sanders, with two supervisors hoping to discuss Sanders’ removal as president, and two others urging for his resignation from the board.
‘It hurt me to my core’: Protesters, local officials gather at courthouse to call for Sanders’ resignation over racist comments
Sherry Ellis had everything she needed: a sewing machine and fabric she saved for cloth masks.
Within five minutes, Ellis said, she fashioned herself a T-shirt instead. It read, “Racism is wrong. #Resign.”
Local leaders slam Sanders for racist remarks
Local officials and community leaders are condemning Lowndes County Board of Supervisors President Harry Sanders for comments he made about African Americans being “dependent” since slavery ended and not assimilating to American society like other ethnicities.
City passes resolution to call for retirement of state flag
Columbus is calling for state legislators to remove the Confederate emblem on the flag of Mississippi, following a 5-1 vote from the city council Tuesday evening to pass a resolution in support.
Lowndes supervisors vote along racial lines to leave Confederate monument at courthouse
The Confederate monument in front of Lowndes County courthouse will stay in place, following a 3-2 vote by the board of supervisors Monday morning against its relocation.
How to provide your children with healthy meals on a tight budget
On a Thursday morning, Jane Scott picks up a package of chicken from the freezer. She places it next to a brown bag full of food and then hands it to the family waiting at the window, free of charge.
Scott is the president of Project Homestead in West Point — a food pantry offering food to families in need.
Ricky Ball case files made public
Having fired nine rounds, Canyon Boykin reloaded his gun as he approached the corner of an abandoned house. The then-Columbus police officer cursed out a dozen times as his flashlight scanned the front lawn, his voice shaky. He found a puddle of blood belonging to the man he just shot.
Community panel discusses police reform, federal examination of Ball case
With renewed attention on the now widely-known Ricky Ball case, community leaders and public officials examined Columbus Police Department protocols and pushed for department policy improvements and further systemic changes during a town hall meeting Tuesday night, a livestreamed event that garnered about 5,700 views on Facebook.
Video: Boykin involved in car chase of Ball two months before shooting
Body camera footage released on social media Monday shows a near encounter between former Columbus police officer Canyon Boykin and Columbus resident Ricky Ball nearly two months before Boykin shot and killed Ball during a traffic stop in October 2015.