Articles by Zack Plair
Councilman jailed, ordered to stay away from wife
Ward 4 Councilman Pierre Beard is spending much of Friday night in Lowndes County Adult Detention Center after turning himself in to Columbus police on
Police seek councilman in domestic dispute
Police are seeking Ward 4 Councilman Pierre Beard in a domestic dispute involving his wife. If he doesn’t turn himself in by this evening, Police
Crime report: More tech, community support needed
A Crime Prevention Task Force report nearly a year in the making is complete.
Council commissions new master plan for Propst
City councilmen voted 4-2 Tuesday to commission the Neel-Schaffer engineering firm to upgrade the master plan for Propst Park.
Council moving ahead with Oak Manor demolition
Oak Manor apartments owner Robert Merchant had another chance Tuesday to convince the city council not to proceed with tearing down his complex on 11th Street South.
MSU’s research footprint extends from agriculture to defense
It would take a person about 30 years to count to 1 billion and 30,000-plus years to count to 1 trillion.
Supes discuss possible ARPA projects at work session
A work session on Monday revealed some broad priorities Lowndes County supervisors want to set for spending the roughly $11 million it will receive in American Rescue Plan Act funds.
City’s 2020 audit bogged down as deadline approaches
The city’s audit for Fiscal Year 2020 remains incomplete, and holdups in getting information from two departments are pushing the process ever closer to blowing the deadline.
Home Base: MDE to teachers: Heal thyself
It doesn’t take a lot of effort to notice the state of Mississippi, at least on an institutional level, doesn’t give a rip about its public school teachers.
From traffic tickets to misdemeanor violence, Starks deals with myriad cases as county prosecutor
William Starks tends to get the same two questions about his job from the public.
City revives talks of Propst Park improvements
Since moving to Columbus in 1987, Mayor Keith Gaskin has created plenty of memories at Propst Park — some more painful than others.
He’s played tennis there, watched his children play youth sports there and covered events there as a journalist with The Dispatch. He even once got hit in the head with a rogue baseball at a Little League game.
Alexander Jr. to transition out of full-time city role
Interim city chief operations officer Mark Alexander Jr. will transition from full-time to part-time or “as needed” starting Nov. 1.
Council orders Southside apartments torn down
The city council on Tuesday declared the Oak Manor apartment complex a menace and ordered it torn down unless the owner can produce viable plans in two weeks to remediate the property.
Council mulling updated noise ordinance
The music started. Police Investigator Max Branch wanted to “pump up the volume.”
CMSD offering free National Board training for teachers
Julia McDill had decided not to pursue her master’s degree.
The seven-year veteran teacher at Franklin Elementary still owes student loan debt from when she earned her bachelor’s in elementary education at the Mississippi University for Women. Adding to that debt
Gaskin, Eubanks chosen to EMCC board
Keith Gaskin took stock of his fellow contender Friday before speaking to the Lowndes County Board of Supervisors.
Council again kills forensic audit in ugly meeting
Wednesday’s special-call city council meeting went off anything but smoothly.
Gaskin vetoes council votes on audit, staffing
Within hours of a Tuesday press conference where Mayor Keith Gaskin announced vetoes for two recent council votes, Vice Mayor Joseph Mickens had called a special council meeting to consider overriding them.
Group distributes 528 backpacks, school supplies at Lock and Dam
July 13, 2025
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