Between the Headlines: Columbus

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Columbus City Attorney Jeff Turnage joins us to discuss the overwhelming public support for keeping MSMS at MUW, revealing 185 public comments sent to Mississippi Department of Education, favoring the school's current location versus only three supporting relocation to MSU. MSU's response through spokesperson Sid Salter has stoked the controversy, leading to a discussion about the ro...

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Mayor Stephen Jones' inauguration sets a new tone for Columbus leadership, offering hope paired with practical challenges. In a ceremony and first council meeting marked by unity and unanimous votes, Jones emphasized his commitment to serving all citizens while acknowledging his faith as a guiding principle. The true test of his administration will come when inevitable disagreements arise...

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Stepping into Sim Scott Park for the Juneteenth Festival offered a powerful glimpse into how Columbus celebrates freedom. As a first-time attendee, David discovered a vibrant community event that brought together people from across Lowndes County to honor the significance of emancipation through food, music, and conversation.

Through candid conversations with attendees ranging from Co...

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Newly-elected Ward 4 Councilwoman Lavonne Harris shares the grassroots strategy that won her the seat. Harris reveals how she knocked on nearly 4,000 doors across her ward, connecting personally with voters while presenting a vision focused on neighborhood cleanup, infrastructure improvement, and council unity.

"I am only one vote, but I intend to be the right vote," Harris ...

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What happens when our hosts step out of the studio and into the frontlines of political activism? Zack Plair and David Chism brave the rain to spend time with anti-Trump protesters gathered outside the Columbus-Lowndes Public Library in downtown Columbus.

The conversations they capture reveal a fascinating tapestry of perspectives, concerns, and motivations. From passionate declaratio...

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Columbus municipal elections brought a major shakeup with Stephen Jones winning the mayoral race and five of seven council seats changing hands amid disappointingly low voter turnout. Former mayor Jeffrey Rupp joins the podcast to provide historical perspective on Columbus politics, economic development, and the differences between Columbus and Starkville governance.

• Low voter turno...

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This week's Between the Headlines dives deep into Columbus' mayoral race following Tuesday's forum at Nissan Auditorium, where surprising performances may have shifted some voters' perspectives—though perhaps not enough to change the expected outcome.

Dispatch managing editor Zack Plair and co-host David Chism analyze each candidate's performance, with Plair d...

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Candidates for Ward 5, Mary Beth Jeter and Gary Jefferson, share their visions for Columbus while discussing crime, youth programs, and rejuvenating the city's image. The hosts also dive into the controversial naming process for the Columbus Fossil Park.

• Crime concerns in the city, with differing perspectives on whether enforcement or community building is the primary solution<...

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Pierre Beard and Bobby Johnson, candidates for Columbus Ward 4, square off in a heated debate about the ward's present condition and future direction. The incumbent Beard defends his record of progress while challenger Johnson paints a bleaker picture of a neglected area needing new leadership.

• Beard is asked about his brushes with the law and draws a distinction between his pe...

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The Columbus city council debates sending a lame-duck councilman on an expensive trip to Washington DC while a hostile work environment complaint against the mayor surfaces and local nonprofit organizations struggle with federal funding cuts.

• Columbus City Councilman Mickens plans to join a Washington DC lobbying trip despite his term ending June 30
• A formal complaint filed by...

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Pastor Darren Leach, independent mayoral candidate endorsed by incumbent Mayor Keith Gaskin, shares his vision for implementing data-driven management and transparent metrics for Columbus city departments. Through his unique combination of engineering expertise and community service experience, Leach aims to rebuild neighborhoods while fostering unity among city leadership.

• Creating...

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Robert Smith, former Columbus mayor and current president of the Columbus Municipal School District, offers insights on local education, environmental concerns, and city politics while reflecting on his own leadership philosophy.

• CMSD faces another superintendent search after Dr. Ellis' unexpected resignation
• The district has improved to a B rating but continues strugglin...

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Columbus residents are expressing outrage over a $14,300 concrete barrier installed on Military Road, designed as a traffic-calming "chicane" that has become a flashpoint for debate about public safety and infrastructure spending. Meanwhile, Link CEO Joe Max Higgins takes the mall owners to task for their failure to fulfill tax incentive obligations for Columbus Place development.

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Columbus's streets transformed into rivers this past weekend, with some residents requiring boat evacuations from their homes—a stark reminder of the city's ongoing drainage crisis. But as local officials reveal in this eye-opening episode, this flooding disaster might have been preventable.

Mayor Keith Gaskin pulls no punches as he details how Columbus left millions in pote...

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The political landscape of Columbus shifted dramatically during the recent primaries, with established figures falling to challengers who promised change. Most notably, Stephen Jones defeated political veteran Leroy Brooks in the Democratic mayoral primary, signaling voters' desire for fresh leadership despite Brooks out-raising Jones three-to-one.

Brooks's campaign strategy...

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Campaign finance revelations and heated candidate exchanges dominate this eye-opening exploration of Columbus politics. The stark financial disparities between mayoral candidates—Leroy Brooks amassing nearly $30,000 to Stephen Jones' $11,000—sets the stage for a fascinating discussion about what money really means in local elections.

Zack and David analyze a viral Facebook post f...

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A seismic shift is coming to Columbus as the MS Board of Education unanimously votes to recommend relocating Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science (MSMS) from Mississippi University for Women to Mississippi State University. With only legislative approval standing in the way, this decision threatens to leave a gaping hole in MUW's campus, where MSMS students currently represent 1...

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First, Zack and David dissect "an exercise in the absurd" as they recount the previous night's Democratic forum where Ward 5 Councilman Stephen Jones and County Supervisor Leroy Brooks spent more time trading barbs than discussing policy. The duo analyzes how these political heavyweights overshadowed other candidates while turning what should have been a substantive debate into ...

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Zack and David discuss how Ward 2 councilman Joseph Mickens is not acting like a four term incumbent, especially considering his challengers. They also talk about Jason Spears' and Mary Beth Jeter's appearances at Columbus Exchange Club. And mayoral candidate Stephen Jones suggests borrowing money to finish the Amphitheater. 

Golden Triangle Development LINK CEO Joe Max Higgins also j...