NCAA imposes penalties on Mississippi State athletics following academic misconduct

The NCAA announced Friday that a former Mississippi State student and part-time athletic tutor violated the governing bodies' rules and regulations in aiding 10 football players and one men's basketball player in an online chemistry class.

Monroe County sheriff resigns after losing party primary

A sheriff has resigned in northern Mississippi, two weeks after he was defeated in a party primary.

Getting stolen firearms off the street: Area law enforcement agencies promote prevention, up enforcement efforts to crack down on people obtaining firearms illegally

A man walks through a neighborhood or parking lot, tugging on vehicle door handles until he finds one unlocked. When he opens the door, there's a handgun in plain view on the passenger seat. The burglar takes it, along with some other unsecured valuables, and leaves the area.

Backpack food programs preparing for new school year

The other students aren't aware of the change in their classmates, but the teachers and counselors are. Children in need of food over the weekends at the Franklin Academy Elementary school in Columbus and in pre-K through eighth grade throughout Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District get bags with four meals in their backpacks on Fridays during the school year, thanks to ministry programs with the First United Methodist churches in Columbus and Starkville.

CMSD improves scores for second straight year

For the second year in a row, Columbus Municipal School District students' spring assessment scores increased compared to the previous year's.

Arrest report for 8-15-19

Man arrested for animal cruelty after reportedly neglecting horses

A Clay County man was arrested Monday for animal cruelty after deputies found three severely neglected horses on his property.

Preventing suicides in jail: Local authorities enhancing protocols as inmate deaths rise nationally

In June, construction was completed on two new cells, each designed to hold only one person at a time, in the Clay County Jail.

Clutch caddying: How MSU's Stockett aided in a U.S. Women's Amateur title

Mississippi State junior golfer Blair Stockett basked in the air conditioning. Escaping the staunch summer heat, Stockett sat on the couch at her cousin's house near the grounds of Old Waverly Golf Club. She savored the cool gusts as the air outside reached more than 90 degrees Sunday.

The long way 'round: After 20 years of planning, the bypass being built around Gordo has some residents hopeful, others worried about the town's future

Clayburn Driver sat at his kitchen table in Gordo, Alabama, swiping through photos on his phone. He slid it across the table when he had found what he was looking for: a video from November 2017 of a vinyl-sided house engulfed in flames. Back around 2001, Driver's house was slated for the same fate. "We've been fighting this ever since we built the house," said Driver, 70.

Arrest report for 8-11-19

'Good vibes at Old Waverly': U.S. Open champ returns to course as analyst 20 years after winning title there

As Juli Inkster wandered the grounds of Old Waverly Golf Club Wednesday, a familiar rush enveloped her body. The 1999 U.S. Women's Open Champion, Inkster returned to the course that brought her and Mississippi to the center of the golfing world 20 years ago.

Bryan's dream takes center stage at 2019 U.S. Women's Amateur

As the wee hours of Saturday morning's practice rounds for the 2019 Women's U.S. Amateur began, a thick fog coats the entrance to Old Waverly Golf Club.

'Hometown girl' at US Women's Amateur

Even in her own backyard, Conner Beth Ball caught some flack. Walking into Old Waverly Golf Club early Saturday ahead of her 7:35 a.m. practice round, an elderly gentleman teased her in reference to the Ole Miss garb she donned -- a powder blue golf skirt, a white sleeveless polo with "Ole Miss" embroidered on her chest and a white cap with Colonel Reb swinging a golf club.

Columbus to hold National Night Out block parties Tuesday

Both Columbus and Starkville will host their annual National Night Out on Crime block parties this week.

Arrest report for 8-5-19

PAC money pushes Smith well ahead in fundraising for Dist. 39 race

By the end of the final reporting period before the upcoming primary elections, candidates seeking the District 39 seat in the Mississippi House of Representatives raised a combined $68,750, making it the most expensive race for a state legislative office.

Area students enter medical school through rural physicians scholarship

In Austyn Holden's hometown of Coldwater -- where the population hovers between 1,200 and 1,300, according to the 2016 estimates -- the nearest hospital is a 45-minute drive.

Best of the Triangle 2018

Best Area Professionals 2018

2019 Dining Guide