Legislation would make Holloway OCSD conservator July 1
House Bill 833, as filed by Rep. Toby Barker, R-Hattiesburg, would place Starkville School District Superintendent Lewis Holloway in charge of Oktibbeha County School District July 1 if approved this term by state lawmakers.
The bill was introduced to the House Education Committee today and now moves to Ways and Means, Rep. Gary Chism, R-Columbus, said.
Finalized consolidation plan heading to legislature
Between smiles and handshakes after signing their final consolidation report Friday, members of the Commission on Starkville Consolidated School District Structure turned their focus to lobbying lawmakers for legislative language and funding streams needed to successfully consolidate Oktibbeha County School District and Starkville School District.
County volunteers respond to 2 trailer fires
Two trailer fires within the first 26 hours of 2014 sent volunteer firefighters scrambling across the eastern portion of Oktibehha County on Wednesday and Thursday.
MSU secures partial funding for county school partnership
Mississippi State University secured $1 million toward an Oktibbeha County partnership school after a Texas-based couple donated $12.3 million to the school’s Infinite Impact fundraising campaign, the university announced Monday.
Picking persimmons in Sessums
David Reese, who is 59 and soft-spoken, has for almost three decades operated Reese Orchard in Sessums, a rural community in east Oktibbeha County.
There is a sign where customers drive up that says, “Welcome. Please use intercom or honk,” because a lot of times Reese is out and about on the orchard. It is mostly a one-man operation.
Brown leads fund-raising in prosecutor race
Interim Oktibbeha County Prosecutor Haley Brown holds a significant lead in campaign financing over her two opponents, Brace Knox and Matthew Wilson, outpacing both in donations and expenses used toward Nov. 5’s special election, documentation shows.
Supervisors, EMCC interested in Starkville satellite facility
East Mississippi Community College and Oktibbeha County representatives say they’re willing to work together on a partnership that would bring a workforce training satellite facility to Starkville.
One down, and more to come
As economic developers and business representatives shook hands after C Spire announced it will construct a $22 million data-processing facility in Starkville, local leaders trumped up the successful relationship between Oktibbeha County and the Golden Triangle Development Link, and set their sights on the next job-producing investment.
School plans narrowing but still undecided
The Commission on Consolidated Starkville School District Structure laid out two plans to address short- and long-term, merger-created logistical needs Thursday but did not cement options on how to successfully join the two systems’ student populations in 2015.
Project Cumulus appears to be a done deal for Starkville
State and local government officials, higher education leaders and economic developers are expected to announce a major breakthrough concerning Project Cumulus, a proposed $20 million technology initiative, Thursday at the Thad Cochran Research Park.
Oktibbeha unemployment drops nearly one percent
Oktibbeha County’s unemployment rate in August was nearly 1 percent lower than July’s estimate of 9.7.
August’s rate came in at 8.8 percent.
That percentage represents an estimated 1,760 people actively looking for a job, according to statistics from the Mississippi Department of Employment Security.
Developers hoping for ‘Cumulus’ announcement in Oct.
Local economic developers say an announcement could come as early as October in regard to a proposed $20 million investment by a data-processing company.
County will raise pay without tax increase
Oktibbeha County supervisors approved a $29.63 million operating budget for the upcoming fiscal year that provides an across-the-board, 3 percent pay raise for full-time employees and allocates monies for East Mississippi Community College capital improvement projects.
Hospital trustee appointment in limbo after board action
The Oktibbeha County Board of Supervisors’ appointment of Minnie Fox to the OCH Regional Medical Center Board of Trustees appears on hold after supervisors failed to approve the motion Monday.
City, county hoping to lure Link-recommended Project Cumulus
Starkville and Oktibbeha County officials are working to deliver a Golden Triangle Development Link-backed project, an almost-$20 million investment for data processing, to the Thad Cochran Research Park.
Merger committee has no appetite to send students out of county
Members of the Oktibbeha County school merger committee members moved away from possibly asking neighboring school districts to absorb schoolchildren after numerous regional representatives said their systems had no interest in taking on more students.
Merger talks turn to neighboring school districts
During a recent listening session, members of the public urged the Commission on Starkville Consolidated School Structure to get down to brass tacks and begin substantial discussions on the pending city-county school merger.
Supreme Court denies Batiste’s challenge to death sentence
JACKSON — The Mississippi Supreme Court has declined a request from Bobby Batiste that it take a second look at his appeal. The Supreme Court
Educational pledge re-ignites awareness as consolidation hearing approaches
Starkville’s chapter of Parents for Public Schools and the Starkville Foundation for Public Education launched a 10-point pledge to improve countywide education and promote one of the area’s top issues Tuesday in hopes of re-sparking awareness before Thursday’s first public hearing on consolidation is held.
Meeting needed to identify potential county land uses
Supervisors will hold a special meeting July 22 to begin identifying and classifying areas for future land-use designations, a key step in developing a comprehensive plan for Oktibbeha County.