Articles by Zack Plair
Two in custody for murder after teen fatally shot
Two suspects are in custody following the fatal shooting of a teenager Wednesday at a residence on Finley Drive west of Starkville.
Teen arrested after bringing stolen gun to Y, posting photo on social media
A 16-year-old male was arrested Monday for bringing a stolen gun to the Frank P. Phillips YMCA downtown.
Chief: Robbery suspect caught while entering councilman’s hotel room
Multiple sources have confirmed to The Dispatch that Columbus police are investigating Ward 4 Councilman Pierre Beard’s involvement with a suspect charged with two June 25 armed robberies outside Waffle House.
Email protests of parks bond too few so far, may not count anyway
Citizens trying to force a referendum on the city borrowing $3 million to upgrade Propst Park have been emailing protests to City Hall over the past few days, Chief Financial Officer Jim Brigham said.
Shooter, victim in fatal Inferno shooting had violent history
The shooter and deceased victim in Friday night’s shooting inside the Inferno Sports Bar had a violent history with each other that went back more
Home Base: The Confederate heritage of insecurity
“History will be kind to me for I intend to write it.”
Home Base: Money in the bank
“Where is your money? What happened to it?” Amelia and I took turns asking.
Engineers, attorneys are most expensive professional services for Columbus in 2022
The city of Columbus spent more than $1 million on professional services in calendar year 2022. More than two-thirds of that went to only three vendors.
City overspent budget by $3.2M in FY 2020
The city overspent its general fund budget by more than $3.2 million in Fiscal Year 2020 and lacked the bookkeeping at that time to realize it was happening.
Off-duty Oktibbeha fireman saves man from burning home
Even in the firefighting profession, Oktibbeha County Fire Services Coordinator Patrick Warner said it’s rare to need to rescue someone from a burning structure.
Columbus police officer allegedly at house where shooting occurred, did not call 911
A part-time police officer with a suspension in his past is at the center of a departmental investigation into his conduct.
Fired, rehired, wrecked and working in two cities
Over the last four months of Garland Ward’s employment as McComb police chief, he was fired, rehired and involved in a single-car accident in his police unit.
Teens lead officers on miles-long chase across Oktibbeha
A group of teens led law enforcement on a wild ride across the county Saturday morning.
Collins returns as Oktibbeha road manager
Victor Collins has spent half his life working for the county road department.
New curbside recycling proposal comes with $15/month cost for participants
A new proposal for an opt-in curbside recycling program came Friday with hard cost estimates and considerable sacrifices. At a work session Friday morning, Ward
Husband, wife swap places for Dist. 4 race; candidates pour into races for Dists. 1 and 5
In the waning days of the qualifying period, new candidates poured into three county supervisor races, highlighted by a last-minute husband-wife switch in District 4.
Contractors could soon face fines for fire hydrant tampering
A jar filled with water sits on a table. Though a thin layer of sediment is settled at the bottom, the rested water is perfectly clean and potable.
Contested Republican primary forms for Dist. 1 supervisor
Another board of supervisors’ race is contested.
Curbside recycling shot down again for lack of cost data
Hamp Beatty said he wants to do the right thing for the right reason. More than that, he wants his grandson 15 years from now to know his Pop fought hard to bring back curbside recycling in the city.
Future of city pool in doubt as usage numbers plummet, water leaks
STARKVILLE – When associate city engineer Chris Williams started planning revamps for the pool at Moncrief Park, he already knew there were problems. Parking is
Holiday Handcrafts Bazaar accepting vendor applications
July 12, 2025
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