The Dispatch is adding a new reporter to its Starkville bureau.
Josh Starr will start on Monday primarily covering education, crime and courts in Oktibbeha County.
He will join Carl Smith, a three-year veteran Dispatch reporter in Starkville who will continue covering local government.
Both reporters will also write features and perform other general assignment duties.
Starr earned his journalism degree in May from the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg. He was born in Florida and lived in Starkville, and later Jackson, as a child.
“I’m excited to re-engage with Starkville in a meaningful way,” Starr said. “I’m glad to be working for an institution that values critical journalism.”
Zack Plair, managing editor for The Dispatch, said Starr’s hire is an effort to step up the newspaper’s coverage of Starkville and Oktibbeha County.
“Having Josh and Carl over in Starkville working together gives us a chance to provide stronger, more comprehensive coverage of Oktibbeha County and make The Starkville Dispatch an even more unique product from our Columbus edition,” Plair said. “Speaking from experience, I know Starkville to be a very welcoming place for new professionals moving in. So, I think Josh will be a great fit for us, and the Starkville community will be a great fit for him.”
Dispatch reporter Ben Wait will continue covering sports in Oktibbeha County, which includes Mississippi State University.
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