You Don’t Take the Ball Away from Michael Jordan

You Don’t Take the Ball Away from Michael Jordan

Got a question or a tip? Send us a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2449287/fan_mail/new] 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 hamstrings its top players. After that, the guys preview a Friday meeting between the city and county. Each likely owes the other money, but they have been at a stalemate in terms of collecting. Who's right and who's wrong? Then the discussion turns to whether it's appropriate for the city to be sponsoring religious events on city property.

Contracts, Crime and Critters

Got a question or a tip? Send us a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2449287/fan_mail/new] 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 funds and who is responsible when procedures break down. From there, we change gears to two issues people feel every day. On violent crime, we talk about why community policing cannot be a one-way street, why fear keeps witnesses quiet, and why programs only help if families actually use them. On animal control, we explain the city-county-Humane Society interlocal setup, what is changing, and what residents should know about roaming dogs, liability, and emergency calls for aggressive animals.

No More Naked Interviews PLUS We Talk With BankFirst's CEO

Got a question or a tip? Send us a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2449287/fan_mail/new] 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 through when a team catches fire. Zack is on vacation this week so Dispatch columnist Slim Smith joins David and Jake to discuss how sports journalism has changed as access gets tighter and why the best work still comes from writers who avoid the herd, show up early, and paint a scene.  David and Slim then turn to a local headline that surprised us: a Bitcoin mining operation in Columbus, running thousands of machines and drawing megawatts of power, raising real questions about the grid, rates, and what crypto “value” even means. We close with Moak Griffin, CEO of BankFirst, on what community banking looks like after 138 years, why their Columbus headquarters and training campus matter, and how to protect yourself from fraud.

Chief Daughtry on Youth Violence and the Woody's Waiting Game

Got a question or a tip? Send us a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2449287/fan_mail/new] 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 shoreline land for good. Then Columbus Police Chief Joseph Daughtery joins us in studio to explain what he’s seeing on the streets, why youth conflicts are escalating, and how social media turns petty disputes into real violence. He gets specific about how guns end up in the wrong hands, including thefts from unlocked cars, firearms left in plain view, and straw purchases that federal partners are increasingly tracking.

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.