Corps of Engineers chief of operations recounts effects of historic 2019 flooding
On Feb. 27, 2019, Army Corps of Engineers Chief of Operations for Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway Justin Murphree was on his way home from work when he got a call from his navigation manager telling him there was a problem on the waterway.
A Better Columbus founder calls for new city leadership
Leslie Sorrell warned the audience that she gets “embarrassingly emotional talking about good government” when she spoke Tuesday at the Columbus Rotary Club meeting.
“I would be less emotional giving a eulogy,” said the co-founder of A Better Columbus, a nonprofit political action corporation aimed at fundamentally changing the city government.
CMSD juggles pandemic, 200th anniversary of district
Columbus Municipal School District is ringing in its 200th anniversary in 2021 with a whole new brand, Superintendent Cherie Labat said.
Base commander: Space Force formed to protect American satellites, other interests in space
When Rotarians asked Col. Seth Graham to speak to their club about the newly launched Space Force, Graham — whose specialty as commander of the 14th Flying Training Wing at Columbus Air Force Base is training pilots how to fly airplanes — decided he had some research to do.
New partnership, grant will support Lowndes County children until kindergarten
A community-based collaboration between the Rotary Club of Columbus and Mississippi University for Women’s School of Education will prepare children to start school happy, healthy and equipped to succeed.
Advocate: Medical marijuana initiative competing with ‘confusing’ alternative meant to ‘dilute vote’
By January, it appeared the time may have come for medical marijuana in Mississippi as the Secretary of State’s office certified petitions to permit a ballot initiative to amend the state’s constitution.
Younger proud of hemp, flag bills passed through Legislature
One of the bills Sen. Chuck Younger is proud to have gotten through the Mississippi Legislature this year is the Hemp Cultivation Act, allowing for the legalization of hemp processing in the state.
CPD chief pitches police athletic league to bridge gap between community, law enforcement
Columbus Police Chief Fred Shelton said he can still remember the “watchdog” for his community when he was growing up.
Business coaches at MSU call for local investment into young entrepreneurship
Eric Hill’s interest in building a business from scratch started young.
Columbus doctors offer update on pandemic, give advice on living with COVID-19
Asked during Tuesday’s Rotary Club of Columbus meeting how likely a second wave of COVID-19 is to hit the U.S., Dr. Robert Buckley had a caveat for his audience: The first onslaught of the coronavirus pandemic isn’t over just yet.
Secretary of state: Mississippi not yet ready for vote by mail system
Mississippi Secretary of State Michael Watson said Tuesday his opposition to a statewide mail-based voting system is because he’s not sure it’s the safest option for Mississippi — or if it’s even a legitimate possibility anytime soon.
Hospitality Association head: About 11 percent of state’s restaurants will shutter due to pandemic
Pat Fontaine started serving food at civic club meetings, including the local Rotary Club, when he was 8 years old at the motel and restaurant his family owned in Pascagoula.
LINK CEO warns cuts coming as local businesses, governments deal with pandemic
Golden Triangle Development LINK CEO Joe Max Higgins remembers the atmosphere in Columbus as the city dealt with the tail end of the Great Recession in 2009.
Higgins looks forward to working with new state administration
Golden Triangle LINK CEO Joe Max Higgins said he has high hopes for the future of economic development in the Golden Triangle, updating Columbus Rotarians Tuesday on prospective projects and a political change at Mississippi Development Authority.
Gunn doubles down on call to change state flag
During his appearance at Tuesday’s Columbus Rotary Club, Mississippi Speaker of the House Philip Gunn devoted his time to discussing the 2019 legislative session, which ended almost five months ago.
Rotary speaker: It’s high time Mississippi legalizes medical marijuana
If roughly 28,700 Mississippi more voters sign the petition for medical marijuana this summer, then the question of legalizing it will have a place on the November 2020 ballot.
Flooding, sediment in Tenn-Tom has impeded industry
When speaking about the changes to the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway as a result of this year’s extreme flooding, Mitch Mays showed a photograph of a colleague standing ankle-deep in water surrounded by damp sediment.
State auditor sheds light on investigations into government theft, corruption
Shad White said there are two ways to do his job: the easy way and the right way.
Revenue commissioner says he’s worked to change department’s image
Herb Frierson said the biggest moonshine bust in the history of the Mississippi Alcoholic Beverage Control was in Hancock County, when ABC agents busted a man and his brother — for the second time — for making 60 barrels of moonshine.
Woodstock and the spirit of 1969: Local historian recounts a memorable year of turmoil, discovery
Marc Harris grew up in upstate New York and although he didn’t attend Woodstock, he remains fascinated by the event, which proved to be an iconic moment at the end of a turbulent decade.