Rural fire department tests for better rating
Sixty minutes could save you a lot of money on your fire insurance.
That’s not an advertisement, but was, rather, the desired outcome for the volunteer firefighters at Oktibbeha County’s Bell Schoolhouse fire district during Friday’s water-shuttle test.
Flash flood causes evacuations near Poorhouse Road
What is believed to be a flash flood led to the evacuation of 10 people Saturday afternoon in an apartment complex about two miles south of Starkville, according to Oktibbeha County Fire Services Coordinator Kirk Rosenhan.
Inter-related developments in limbo after aldermen fail to pass resolution
A two-hour executive session ended Thursday without an agreement on a pair of inter-related projects, leaving developers frustrated and the Starkville mayor insisting the projects are still on the table.
Oktibbeha does not qualify for HOME program
In 1990, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development established the HOME program in an effort to assist those living in rural communities or small towns that might not otherwise have access to HUD assistance.
Oktibbeha County declared federal disaster area
Oktibbeha County has been declared a federal disaster area in response to an April 13 storm that spawned a pair of tornadoes in the county.
Oktibbeha supes to give bridge panels to area surgeon for damaged property
Oktibbeha County supervisors approved a trio of motions on Monday that closed a lingering investigation into the county wrongly giving its property to a private citizen.
County continues seeking easements for Blackjack Road project
Oktibbeha County is moving along in discussions with several property owners to acquire needed easements to begin a road improvement project along Blackjack Road.
Oktibbeha sheriff’s race nets $6K-plus in fundraising
Two candidates in the Oktibbeha County sheriff’s race have raised more than $6,600 in campaign funding, according to campaign financing reports submitted to the circuit clerk’s office by Friday’s filing deadline.
Starkville officials pitch 1-percent tax at forum
Local leaders made their cases for a new 1-percent tourism tax to support Starkville’s parks and recreation system — including the construction of a new $20 million-plus recreation facility with tournament-ready fields at Cornerstone Park — at a Thursday night forum.
New info suggests baby left in toilet may have been born dead
The Mississippi 16th Circuit District Attorney’s Office has dropped an initial second-degree murder charge against a woman accused of birthing her baby in a toilet and abandoning it.
Aldermen OK $1 million for pedestrian path, street improvement work
Starkville is moving ahead with roughly $1 million in road and pedestrian improvement work after aldermen approved two projects during Tuesday’s meeting.
Key: Solar power growing, diversifying
Keith Key said most people have an image of a typical solar power customer. “Most of the people I talk to think they live out in the country, eat tofu and are bare-footed,” Key said. “They’re off the grid, you know, and they’re the only people interested in that.”
Federal lawsuit settled between Oktibbeha and ex-road worker
A federal lawsuit against Oktibbeha County and County Road Manager Fred Hal Baggett has settled.
Oktibbeha supes seeking contractor assistance for storm cleanup
Oktibbeha County is preparing to search for a contractor to help with storm debris removal after a pair of tornadoes swept through the county a week ago.
Fourth Camelot Apartments robbery suspect sentenced
The final suspect in a May 2017 armed robbery at the Camelot Apartments has been sentenced after pleading guilty in Oktibbeha County Circuit Court earlier this week.
Deadly storm ravages Monroe County
Powerful storms swept across the South on Sunday after unleashing suspected tornadoes and flooding that killed at least eight people and injured dozens, according to an Associated Press report.
One Monroe County resident, as well as three children in other states, were among the dead.
Oktibbeha supes name Sykes justice court clerk
Oktibbeha County Supervisors have named Shalonda Sykes the county’s next justice court clerk.
Supervisors meetings to be hosted online
The Oktibbeha County Board of Supervisors’ meetings will soon be available online for the public to view after supervisors authorized the purchase of a camera to record them.
Golden Triangle gets $13M from Legislature for projects
The Golden Triangle will have an additional $13.1 million to spend on a variety of projects, including more than $6 million for construction and Mississippi University for Women and $5 million for the Partnership School in Starkville.
Future of county school campuses unclear
Nearly a week after supervisors voted to have Board Attorney Rob Roberson draft a contract for the potential acquisition of three former Oktibbeha County School District campuses, it remains unclear what such an arrangement might look like.