Articles by Zack Plair
Community Profile: Sullivan still keeping time, with music or buses
When Starkville High School’s choir rolled up to the state choral convention in Hattiesburg in November, other teachers there were a little surprised to see Shawn Sullivan driving the bus.
Trees in Burns Bottom coming down soon
In a month or so, most – or maybe all – of the trees in the old Burns Bottom neighborhood will come down to make room for the Parkview redevelopment.
ADI ‘ramp up’ continues with more than 600 employees working
Each “charge” loaded into a furnace at Aluminum Dynamics Inc. represents five truckloads of aluminum.
Councilman bemoans inefficiency in city government
Ward 3 Councilman Rusty Greene said he regrets walking out of a special-call city council meeting Friday, forfeiting his vote to hire for two key city positions.
Fire chief decision could come as soon as today
The city council could vote as soon as this afternoon to hire a new chief for Columbus Fire and Rescue.
Two city lots for sale; Buyers must build houses there
The city is looking to sell two adjacent vacant parcels on Fifth Avenue South, but with a caveat: start building on them within six months or surrender them back to the city.
Vasey ready to ‘hit the ground running’ as new LINK CEO
It took five days for Iain Vasey to drive from Oregon to the Golden Triangle.
City landfill may close to public permanently
The temporarily closed city landfill on Armstrong Road may not ever be open to the public again.
Home Base: Franklin Academy should not become a liability
In high school, I was a bit of a social butterfly. Sure, I had a core group of friends, but I also casually popped around among social groups as a welcome visitor without raising alarms or “becoming one of them.”
Key job openings in city push hiring planner to backburner
This year’s city budget reserved as much as $140,000, plus benefits for two key full-time positions – a city planner and a public information officer.
Funds secured for Alva Temple museum at airport
The Columbus-Lowndes Airport landed a grant to add a museum honoring Alva Temple and the Tuskegee Airmen to its terminal, but it will not be as much money as the city and county had hoped.
Marble marker will honor Black WWI soldiers at courthouse
In roughly eight more weeks, the county will finally correct a more than 90-year-old error to the World War I monument sitting on the courthouse lawn.
City council OKs new hurdles for newspapers bidding on legal ads
Despite objections from two members, the city council on Tuesday approved new requirements for newspapers bidding to publish the city’s legal ads.
Community Profile: Stepping into their world
When Sheila Williamson came to Ole Miss for graduate school in the late 1980s, her plan was to return to her native New Jersey in five years.
Council considers buying asset management software
A new software system could help the city’s building department track and manage city assets.
City: You say you’re a newspaper? Prove it
The city council may require newspapers to prove they have “general circulation” in the city in order to bid on legal advertisements this year.
Colom Senate campaign passes $1M mark
Democrat Scott Colom’s campaign for U.S. Senate crossed the $1 million mark in fundraising by the end of 2025, according to his latest filing with the Federal Election Commission.
Sanderson demo, disaster shelter added to city’s wishlist
The city is looking for state and federal help to tear down the former Sanderson Plumbing Products Plant of Tuffy Lane and maybe build a disaster shelter in its place.
Community Profile: A decade after his first race, BJ Cougle keeps running Frostbite
Inspect BJ Cougle’s vehicles all you want. You will not find one of the 26.2 or 13.1 stickers ubiquitous among marathoners and half-marathoners.
Councilman seeks to build small homes behind Waffle House
It’s been almost a year since the city council tabled discussion on a small home development on Waverly Road, instead requesting more information from the developer, Ward 3 Councilman Rusty Greene.
Starkville duo, New Hope striker relish all-star opportunity
July 11, 2025
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