Articles by Zack Plair

Group’s effort to erect 120-foot cross on Highway 25 faces long odds against city permitting process
The Holy Spirit is moving in communities all over Mississippi, Bob Daniels believes. He and a growing group of Christians in Starkville are wanting to

Vibrant pastor resigns amid harassment allegations
Vibrant Church lead pastor Jason Delgado has resigned amid allegations of sexual harassment.
The church announced the resignation through letters from both Delgado and Vibrant’s board of trustees posted on the church website.

Report: Deputy fired at moving vehicle after suspect rammed his patrol unit
A Lowndes County deputy Friday fired his service weapon at the moving vehicle of a suspect who had rammed into his patrol unit, according to a Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office investigative report.

Brooks: City needs stronger blight removal program, more data-driven policing
Trip Hairston, president of the Lowndes County Board of Supervisors, was skeptical of Columbus’ effort to form a Crime Prevention Task Force when he first read about it in the newspaper.

Daniels takes lead in Ward 4 alderman Republican primary
Kevin Daniels has taken a two-vote lead in the Republican primary for Ward 4 alderman after picking up two affidavit votes Thursday morning.

Home Base: Mississippi needs closed primaries
On Thursday, two Republican candidates for Ward 4 alderman in Starkville sat in a cramped conference room flanked by the city clerk, members of the

Daniels takes lead in Ward 4 alderman Republican primary
Kevin Daniels has taken a two-vote lead in the Republican primary for Ward 4 alderman after picking up two affidavit votes Thursday morning.

DiCicco defeats Gavin in Ward 6 election; Incumbents cruise in Starkville
Starting July 1, Ward 6 will have a new representative on the Columbus City Council. Republican Jacqueline DiCicco unseated current councilman and Vice Mayor Bill

Bryan, Bobo raise combined $38K ahead of mayoral primary
Two Democratic candidates for mayor have raised more than $38,000 combined ahead of Tuesday’s primary election.

HBO ‘Our Towns’ film, featuring Columbus, debuts April 13
Columbus will be featured in an HBO documentary premiering April 13. “Our Towns” revisits eight of the communities included in the bestselling book, “Our Towns: A 100,000-Mile Journey into the Heart of America,” penned by journalists James and Deborah Fallows.

Ex-road foreman speaks out after indictment for stealing gas
A former county road department foreman who is suing the county for wrongful termination and malicious prosecution now faces a felony embezzlement charge for allegedly stealing gas from the county while he was still an employee.

Candidate completed pre-trial intervention program to avoid drug conviction
A candidate for Ward 5 alderman completed a pre-trial intervention program for three drug-related felony charges from 2014, Oktibbeha County Circuit Court records show.

Home Base: Unlike Clapton, after midnight I want to go to sleep in peace
Call me Mr. Wilson. That’s fine.

Design plans for $12M Highway 182 project unveiled at open house
Henry Vaughn has lived near Highway 182 all his life. As a child, he said, he and his friends would sit by the highway and count the cars that drove by.
By 2024, there will be a lot more than passing cars to count there if the city has its way.
“It’s going to look a lot different,” said Vaughn, who serves as Ward 7 alderman. “Hopefully, we’ll bring a lot more business to this side of town.”

Monday Profile: 4-County lineman braves icy roads, works long hours during winter storm
Fred Harris’ job as a journeyman lineman for 4-County Electric Power Association is pretty simple, to hear him tell it.
“Basically, it’s just maintaining lines, setting poles, keeping the lights on,” he said.
He might get five or so “trouble calls” a day — anything from a fallen limb knocking down a powerline to a squirrel or bird getting too friendly with a transformer.
But none of the week of Valentine’s Day was “normal” for Harris and his colleagues at the rural utility.

In Crawford, a 140-year-old railway section house sees glimmer of new life
Under the fallen leaves heaped on the front porch of one of Crawford’s oldest remaining houses, Tommy Gentry could barely make out a hint of metal.

Supes approve stricter procedures for maintaining bus turnarounds
Supervisors on Tuesday approved a resolution setting up clearer guidelines and more oversight for the county maintaining bus turnarounds on private property.

Monday Profile: Power outage does not stop Tribble from teaching children in China
At 3:15 a.m. Thursday, Suzanne Tribble was halfway through her first cup of coffee when a tree fell across West Main Street a few hundred feet east of her home, ripping through power lines and providing a horrifying light show of sparks flying from buzzing transformers.
Then her electricity, along with much of the city’s, was out and would be for the next several hours.

Food sales requirement dropped for brewpubs, breweries in limited area
Aldermen voted unanimously Friday afternoon to allow brewpubs and small craft breweries in the city’s Leisure and Entertainment District to sell beer, wine and light spirits on premises without having to also sell food.

Starkville commits additional $1.2M to TIF at old Garan site
Aldermen voted 6-1 Friday afternoon to increase the city’s tax-increment financing obligation for the redevelopment of the old Garan Manufacturing site from $3 million to $4.2 million.