Our View: Bring back the driving test!
Imagine being allowed to get a pilot’s license without ever having piloted a plane in the presence of a certified instructor.
Our View: Cargo on school buses too precious to pass illegally
Every year, an estimated 20 million children ride school buses each day, and while riding a school bus is one of the safest modes of transportation for kids, it is not immune from the dangers of the road.
Our View: CMSD should approach Chapman’s dress rehearsal in good faith
The Columbus Municipal School District Board of Trustees called off its superintendent search during a special-call meeting Monday. Apart from the $10,000 paid to the Mississippi School Board Association to conduct the search, halting the process was a reasonable move, especially when one of the two finalists selected from the MSBA’s pool of applicants left the field.
Between the Headlines Podcast: Politics gets personal as Karriem, Beard face off
If you haven’t listened to last week’s Between the Headlines podcast, do yourself a favor. The latest episode, dropped Thursday, is already one of the show’s most-streamed – and for good reason. Hosts Zack Plair and David Chism didn’t expect fireworks, but that’s exactly what incumbent Rep. Kabir Karriem and challenger Pierre Beard delivered.
Our View: Want to contact an elected official? Insight Magazine has you covered
It would be easy enough to assume that Insight Magazine is a newcomer’s guide to the Golden Triangle. This year’s edition of the magazine will be published in the weekend edition of The Dispatch and, as always, it provides information on a host of topics, everything from annual events in the Golden Triangle to restaurants, schools to medical facilities, libraries and parks. It’s also a quick reference guide to city and county services in Lowndes, Oktibbeha, Clay and Noxubee counties.
Our View: When are law enforcement chases worth the risk?
On July 9, four local law enforcement agencies joined in a high-speed chase that ended with the suspect crashing the vehicle he was driving.
Our View: New CMSD superintendent will face multiple large challenges
Ten days before the start of the 2025-26 school year, the Columbus Municipal School District Board of Trustees met Monday to settle on a group of finalists for the district’s superintendent.
Our View: Taj Mahal High School in Starkville?
When Mississippi State submitted its plans for becoming the new home for Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science in February, it was noted that those plans were designed entirely on the premise of MSMS sharing some facilities with a new Starkville High School built on land owned by the university adjacent to the school district’s Partnership Middle School. There was no stand-alone plan for a MSMS campus.
Our View: At last, on MSMS, Nora Miller is more Tom Petty, less Doris Day
Since the idea of moving Mississippi School for Math and Science from its home on the campus of Mississippi University for Women to a new site at Mississippi State University first emerged late in the 2024 legislative session, MUW president Nora Miller seemed to have struggled to find her voice.
Our View: Gone fishin’ – and so has the whole office
Regular patrons of J. Broussard’s restaurant and bakery in downtown Columbus may have noted a June 21 post on the restaurant’s social media accounts announcing it would be closed “for a little summertime R&R” with the restaurant reopening on July 10 and the bakery opening the following week.
Our View: County could anchor Franklin Academy redevelopment
Anyone who routinely travels past the Lowndes County Courthouse in downtown Columbus knows instantly when it is the opening day of the circuit court session. Hundreds of people gather at the courthouse, with dozens spilling out onto the grounds.
Our View: Keeping cool is a team effort
If you want to learn how to cope with extremely hot weather, consider the folks in Phoenix, Arizona. For Phoenicians, there is nothing unusual about hot weather.
Our View: The CRA’s love language: radio silence
News about what’s going on with the Burns Bottom redevelopment project is a lot like the unsentimental husband whose wife complained that he never told her he loved her. “I told you I loved you back when we were dating,” he protested. “If that changes, I’ll let you know.”
Our View: Consequential last minute additions to the agenda have bad optics
Columbus city government has several avenues for deliberating public policy matters.
Our View: Aldermen jeopardize massive project over business owner’s complaints
The squeaky wheel gets the grease.
Aldermen jeopardize massive project over business owner’s complaints
The squeaky wheel gets the grease. Or, if you are an angry business owner in Starkville, it allows you to opt out of the requirements of a $43 million public construction project that is federally funded and already underway.
Our View: A smart investment in fairness and the future of MSMS
The Lowndes County Board of Supervisors made a wise move Monday morning when it voted to allocate up to $15,000 to fund a public relations campaign aimed at stopping the proposed relocation of the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science from Mississippi University for Women to the campus of Mississippi State University.
Our View: Arts awards are a great reminder of our state’s vibrancy
Twenty years ago, the nonprofit Mississippi, Believe It! began releasing public service announcements meant to show the state’s contributions to progress and culture – something often left out of more stereotypical portrayals of Mississippi or even the South generally.
Roses and Thorns: 6-7-25
A rose to our local elected officials who will be leaving office after the latest municipal election cycle. In Columbus, the list includes Keith Gaskin,
Our View: ‘Between the Headlines’ podcast sheds light, not heat
During the 1970s, one of the most popular features of the CBS news magazine, 60 Minutes, was “Point/Counterpoint,” a segment during which a liberal (Shana Alexander) and a conservative (James Kilpatrick) debated an issue.
