Son cleared in Robert Smith Jr.’s shooting death

Davius Smith feared for his life the day he shot his father to death in the family’s home.

Home Base: Two strangers in a hospital waiting room

Fresh off a CT scan at the hospital in Starkville on Wednesday, the radiology technician escorted me back to the x-ray waiting area.

Testing time: Lowndes schools aim for an A rating

Caledonia Elementary Principal Roger Hill saw his school lose something during the 2015-16 school year. Next week, his students have a chance to earn it back — a fact he hasn’t let them forget.

Testing time: Starkville-Oktibbeha looks to strengthen rating

Lining the halls of Starkville High School, names emblazon yellow-and-black-painted cinder blocks above the classroom doors.

Call him the bus driver: Oktoc dairy farmer fully integrated with MSU athletics through second job

Only one man has taken Mississippi State teams to two Final Fours, eight College World Series appearances and every bowl game the Bulldogs have played since 1983.

‘We’ll be back’

One streak fell on Friday. Another extended on Sunday.

Miracle workers: State fans stunned, elated after historic victory

On the concourse of the American Airlines Center just before midnight Friday, hundreds of Mississippi State fans leaving from their team’s Final Four match-up were loudly chanting “Maroon!” A near equal number of others quickly chanted back “White!”

Home Base: A team and its fans

This wasn’t last time.

It took less than a minute for everyone, most notably the Connecticut Huskies, to figure that out.

Final Four: A tale of two fan bases

Anything is possible.

Home Base: Not just any small town

Growing up in a small town in Arkansas, one far too small for even a Walmart to sniff its borders, the idea of seeing a college basketball game in person was a pipe dream.

Under water: Overstreet Elementary, surrounding neighborhood suffers from poor drainage

Emmett Smitherman is a third-generation resident of his home on South Jackson Street, right next door to Overstreet Elementary School where local public school fifth graders attend.

Home Base: Group of ‘special’ athletes remain just that

Most of the time, the fans start filing out of a basketball arena when the home team goes down 20 late in the second half. At the very least, the visitors’ efforts would have silenced the crowd to the point where they could finish the job in relative peace.

Starkville aldermen appoint longtime volunteer to school board

Mayor Parker Wiseman twice cast tie-breaking votes Tuesday that ultimately decided who would become the newest member of the Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District board.

No one charged after child left alone at hotel

Neither Columbus police nor the Mississippi Department of Human Services plan to press charges against two adults who left a 6-year-old child unattended Monday at a Columbus hotel.

CPD seeks suspects in armed robbery, shot into dwelling cases

Columbus police are seeking suspects in two Thursday night incidents that occurred about 90 minutes apart.

Home Base: The many languages of an 8-year-old

At some point next Friday afternoon, my 8-year-old daughter Zayley will be singing a Chinese song somewhere in public with her class. Or maybe it’s Japanese. We’re not entirely sure.

James named Chamber president

Lisa James is the new president of the Columbus-Lowndes Chamber of Commerce.

Home Base: Making that resolution

An editor for whom I worked at Mississippi State University told me this day would come.

Police ID suspect in Wednesday chase

Authorities have identified a suspect who wrecked his vehicle early Wednesday morning while attempting to evade Columbus police.

Man wrecks during morning police chase

Authorities have identified a suspect who wrecked his vehicle early Wednesday morning while attempting to evade Columbus police.