Between the Headlines: Columbus

Got a question or a tip? Send us a text This week on Between the Headlines , Zack and David return to Catfish Alley Studio with a full slate of City Hall drama, airport questions and regional economic development talk. The episode opens with the latest from Columbus City Hall, where Mayor Stephen Jones raised the idea of allowing city officials to fly for free on empty seats tied to the Golden Tri...

Got a question or a tip? Send us a text A split-second decision during a traffic stop can change a family forever, and that reality hangs over our conversation today. We talk through the case of a 16-year-old, charged with felony murder after a June 16 crash on Alabama Street in Columbus that killed a passenger. We break down what we know from the timeline, what police allege happened after the st...

Got a question or a tip? Send us a text Oktibbeha County has given a two year notice to the Golden Triangle Development LINK. The guys discuss what that means for the region’s economic development recruiter and the strengths of being able to market the entire region. After that the guys briefly discuss a viral video with local ties. When you have a child of the opposite sex, what bathroom do you t...

Got a question or a tip? Send us a text Zack and David have breaking news with this episode as the city's grant-writer Susan Wilder has submitted her letter of resignation. Wilder, who has spearheaded the city's fossil park, the Alva Temple Museum and other projects, cited a toxic work environment in her letter. The guys discuss how the city can expect to hire top notch talent if it hams...

Got a question or a tip? Send us a text A contract gets signed, a check gets cut, the city council approves the check without questioning it. There's enough embarrassment to go around with this one. We walk through the story in which a grant-funded documentary tied to the planned airport museum honoring Tuskegee Airman Alva Temple suddenly becomes a case study in municipal oversight, public f...

Got a question or a tip? Send us a text Brand-new Mississippi State sports reporter Jake McMahon moves to Starkville, checks a score while unloading a U-Haul, and suddenly ends up on a midnight roadtrip to Oklahoma City to cover the Women’s College World Series. That’s where we start, because it says a lot about college athletics right now: chaos, speed, and the kind of joy that still breaks throu...

Got a question or a tip? Send us a text A $100,000 offer, a building that’s been closed for 17 years, and a buyer who suddenly goes quiet. We start with the latest snag in the Woody’s on the Water saga and ask the uncomfortable questions. We also talk about the tradeoff nobody wants to ignore, because development on the lake can bring jobs and activity, but it can also change wetlands and shorelin...

Got a question or a tip? Send us a text We bring two sitting Mississippi legislators into the studio for a candid discussion about what’s really happening with the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science: why a top-tier STEM residential school can post big academic wins while students and staff deal with aging buildings, unreliable heating and air, and years of deferred maintenance. We keep...

Got a question or a tip? Send us a text A CEO comes in from out of state, lasts about two months, and suddenly he’s gone. We dig into the leadership shakeup at the Golden Triangle Development LINK, why “mutual parting of ways” can land like a dodge, and what people mean when they say an organization’s culture demands transparency. We also talk frankly about how the LINK's past still shapes th...

Got a question or a tip? Send us a text A single unpaid bill can turn into a full-blown test of how local government works, and that’s exactly what’s happening between the City of Columbus and Lowndes County. We walk through the jail fee standoff step by step: the original per-inmate agreement, the Mississippi Attorney General opinion that undercuts it, and the city’s claim that it “overpaid” and...

Got a question or a tip? Send us a text A brand new road gets paved, then a jackhammer shows up and the patch looks worse than what was there before. That frustration kicks off a wide-ranging conversation about Columbus considering a new ordinance that could require permits for utility repairs in the public right-of-way.  From there, we head to Friendship Cemetery. When records are old, incomplete...

Got a question or a tip? Send us a text A new grocery store can change the daily rhythm of a town, and the Aldi chatter around Columbus Place is getting too loud to ignore. We talk through what we’re hearing, why official confirmation is so hard to pin down, and the real issue underneath the rumor: Columbus has more shoppers than it has aisles, carts, and parking spaces. If you’ve ever felt trappe...

Got a question or a tip? Send us a text A leadership decision can look “done” before it officially begins, and that’s where we start. We break down the Mississippi University for Women president search, including what we heard from the public listening sessions and why the insider versus outsider question matters for MUW’s identity. We talk about the excitement around a well-connected MUW alum and...

Got a question or a tip? Send us a text Zack and David break down recent headlines, including Senate Bill 2114, which places additional demands on local sheriff’s offices when it comes to ICE cooperation. We walk through what the bill actually changes, what many counties say they’ve already been doing, and why the “it’s no big deal” take doesn’t calm people who feel like their safety could depend...

Got a question or a tip? Send us a text Progress has a sound, and sometimes it’s a chainsaw. We start in Burns Bottom, where a few dozen older trees are slated to come down as a new housing development prepares for infrastructure and dirt work. We talk through what’s actually happening on the ground and a plan to plant about 200 street trees.  Next, we dig into Mississippi public school accountabi...

Got a question or a tip? Send us a text We talk to Iain Vasey, the newly hired CEO of the Golden Triangle Development LINK, to talk plainly about how the Golden Triangle can win industrial recruitment with limited resources and a lot at stake.  We get into Iain’s “Moneyball” approach to economic development: focus on the industries where you can win, keep your information accurate and verifiable,...

Got a question or a tip? Send us a text A fire department is more than sirens and turnout gear. It’s a workplace culture, a retention problem, a medical response machine, and a public promise that has to hold up at 2 a.m. We sit down with Columbus, Mississippi Fire Chief Duane Hughes as he prepares to retire after 31 years in the department, and he tells the truth about what changed and what still...

Got a question or a tip? Send us a text The primary election results are in, and the numbers out of Lowndes County don’t just tell you who won. They hint at who stayed home, who crossed over, and which political “sure things” might be getting shaky. We walk through the Mississippi U.S. Senate primaries and what they could mean for November, from Scott Colom’s overwhelming local support to the ques...

Got a question or a tip? Send us a text Wood smoke, river breeze, and a promise to slow dinner down. We sit with developer DJ Mantooth to unpack how the former Woody’s on the Water is being reborn as a destination steak and seafood restaurant designed around over-flame grilling, Gulf flavors, and southern soul. Mantooth has big plans for the space, and we cover it all. After that, we cover Three T...

Got a question or a tip? Send us a text A national spotlight is about to hit the Tenn-Tom Waterway, and we’re ready. Tourism director Frances Glenn joins us to share how Bassmaster Elite is setting up at the Columbus Marina with 101 pros, live cameras, and a weekend atmosphere that turns attention into spending. We dig into why “free” events fuel hotels, restaurants, and gas pumps, and how a stack...

Got a question or a tip? Send us a text Power doesn’t just show up in big scandals; it hides in procurement rules, town halls, and the shade over a park bench. We start with Columbus’ new requirement that newspapers secure audits or expert affidavits to qualify for city legal ads. On paper that sounds like due diligence. In context—coming after public complaints about coverage—it feels like a pres...

Got a question or a tip? Send us a text A dangerous intersection, a doubled construction bill, and a voice that carries decades of experience - George Irby. We start with Highway 45 and Mike Parra Road, where 29 crashes since 2020 and the death of a young man have galvanized a petition and renewed pressure to improve public safety. We lay out the facts the way residents need them: what a traffic s...

Got a question or a tip? Send us a text Councilman Rusty Greene brings a bold idea to the table: three elevated, 750-square-foot cottages tucked behind a Waffle House, built for folks who want ownership without the bloat. We talk through the real economics of building small along with floodplain design, tree preservation, and the zoning flexibility needed to make infill sing. It’s a clear-eyed loo...

Got a question or a tip? Send us a text The guys discuss Columbus' hopes of building out a regional crime center, even though Starkville has already made strides in that direction. They also tackle two bills in Jackson that could pave the way to MSMS opening its doors to high school sophomores. From there, 4-County Electric’s Brian Clark and Jon Turner take us inside the week that snapped lim...

Got a question or a tip? Send us a text The bills are flying in Jackson, and the stakes feel close to home. We kick off with a clear-eyed look at the “Freedom of Education” proposal: what it really does, what it costs, and why bipartisan opposition formed around accountability gaps and the risk of draining public school budgets. We talk honestly about how school choice can touch property values an...