Between the Headlines: Columbus

Reps. Rob Roberson & Andy Boyd Discuss Future of MSMS, MUW

Got a question or a tip? Send us a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2449287/fan_mail/new] 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 the focus on facts, tradeoffs, and what “good stewardship” of Mississippi tax dollars should look like when the stakes are kids’ daily lives.  From there, the conversation widens to the Mississippi University for Women and the political gravity around university consolidation. With a shrinking population and tight budgets, we ask what happens to smaller campuses and whether the state saves money by closing schools or just creates new problems when buildings and communities are left behind. We also dig into collaboration and program overlap, including how shared services and smarter specialization could reduce duplication without turning education into a winner-take-all fight between Columbus and Starkville.  We finish by taking on K-12 consolidation and the emotional core of it: schools aren’t just buildings, they’re community identity. You’ll hear a blunt debate over incentives versus mandates, administrative bloat, trust in government, and why technology and online learning can’t replace a real teacher in a real room. If you care about Mississippi education funding, MSMS, MUW, and the future of public schools, hit subscribe, share the episode with a friend, and leave us a review with your take on what should happen next.

LINK CEO Shakeup Rattles Confidence in Starkville PLUS Stafford Shurden

Got a question or a tip? Send us a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2449287/fan_mail/new] 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 the present, including the expectations left behind by Joe Max Higgins and the pressure that comes when a board is trying to prove it has learned its lesson. From there, we look at the customer side of economic development. Starkville Mayor Lynn Spruill doesn’t mince words about what she sees as premature decision-making, and we break down the real tension between personnel privacy and accountability to paying clients. We also spend time on what comes next for new CEO Meryl Fisackerly, why institutional knowledge matters, and why the region can’t afford a slow reset if competition for clients heats up. Then the vibe turns fun and surprisingly meaningful when Stafford Shurden joins us. He’s a Mississippi entrepreneur and social media personality famous for reviewing convenience store food, and he explains how his brand grew from local politics, restaurant ownership, and a love for the country stores many of us grew up on. Along the way we hit customer experience, rural small business, and a big question for the next few years: when AI makes the internet easier to fake, who becomes the trusted source?

Jail Bills, Concert Dreams and a Renaissance Fair

Got a question or a tip? Send us a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2449287/fan_mail/new] 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 should be able to withhold new payments as credit.  To lighten things up, we shift to the Columbus amphitheater, a new construction timeline that points toward a real opening next spring, and what hiring a professional promoter could mean for booking concerts and building a downtown Columbus live music destination. We also react to an alleged offering plate theft at a local church, using it as a springboard for church security basics and how to make a clearer 911 call under stress.  Plus, special guest Wesley Stewart joins us to explain why Festival of the Fae is exploding in popularity and what to expect at the two-day Renaissance festival.

Potholes, Plot Holes and Zombie Books

Got a question or a tip? Send us a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2449287/fan_mail/new] 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, or scattered across spreadsheets, books, and public deeds, even buying a cemetery plot can come with unsettling uncertainty. We weigh practical steps the city can take immediately, and the tradeoff of spending real money on ground-penetrating radar to reduce the risk of another painful surprise. Then we step into politics, asking what fairness looks like when the Southern Poverty Law Center faces federal indictments and pressure lands on Senate candidate Scott Colom to disavow. We break down the difference between direct donations and independent PAC spending, and how narratives get built when campaign finance and national labels collide. Finally, we bring in guests Max Brallier of The Last Kids on Earth and Emily Liner of Friendly City Books for a hopeful turn: school visits, Title I outreach, and why graphic novels can be a legit on-ramp to lifelong reading, especially for reluctant readers and some dyslexic kids. Subscribe for more local reporting and sharp conversation, share the show with a friend, and leave us a review with your take on what makes a city worth investing in.

Aldi Buzz In Columbus PLUS Crime Lab Hire and Market Street Festival

Got a question or a tip? Send us a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2449287/fan_mail/new] 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 trapped in a cramped checkout line, you’ll understand why this one matters. Then we dig into a City of Columbus decision with real stakes: spending $65,000 to train a fingerprint analyst instead of paying top dollar for an experienced hire. We break down what that training covers, why the city is trying to build a stronger regional crime lab, and the five-year payback clause meant to keep Columbus from becoming a stepping stone for newly certified talent. From there, it’s a surprisingly deep debate between Zack and David, sparked by one RV in a driveway. After annexation changed the rules, a resident thought he’d been grandfathered in, only to learn the issue was tabled decades ago and never resolved.  We also cover MUW leadership news around Scott Tollison and what an interim appointment signals about IHL’s appetite for an expedited search. Finally, we bring on Main Street Director Barbara Bigelow and festival coordinator Amber Brislin to preview the 30th annual Market Street Festival, including vendor standards, food, two music stages, kids’ activities, and the car show.